U.S. Department of Education Announcements

Over the course of the last two weeks, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced the termination of multiple negotiated rulemaking topics and published new rules on distance education and student financial aid.

Accreditation and State Authorization

On December 26, the USDE announced the termination of the negotiated rulemaking process for three program integrity and institutional quality issues: state authorization, cash management, and accreditation. As mentioned in previous Federal Updates, state authorization and accreditation are issues of high interest to CHEA and its members. This means that no proposed rules will be promulgated during the final days of this administration. If the new administration wants to modify these rules, it will have to start with a new negotiated rulemaking process. Read more, here: 2024-30919.pdf.

New Rules on Distance Education and Return of Title IV Funds

The USDE published on January 3, 2025, new rules concerning distance education and the return of Title IV funds (R2T4). The final rules require additional reporting on distance education for students who receive federal financial aid. The USDE did not promulgate new rules concerning asynchronous clock hour programs through distance education. 2024-31031.pdf.

Withdrawn of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs and Student Debt Relief

There were additional USDE announcements including the withdrawal of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams. Read more, here: 2024-30921.pdf and the withdrawal of Student Debt Relief: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Perkins Loan Program, and the Health Education Assistance Loan Program. Read more, here: 2024-30605.pdf 2024-30606.pdf.