National Adult Learner Coalition Created To Advance Student Success
Washington, D.C., February 6th, 2017 – Today, four major organizations join together as a cohesive voice advocating for adult students and the institutions that serve them. With support from Lumina Foundation, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), Presidents’ Forum, and University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) are…
UPCEA Joins 46 Other Associations on Letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly On Immigration Executive Order
UPCEA and 46 other higher education associations sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly on maintaining the United States as the destination of choice for the world’s best students, faculty and scholars. The letter was written in response to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist…
Department Announces Final Rule on State Authorization
On December 19th, the U.S. Department of Education released final regulations to improve oversight and protect more than 5.5 million distance education students at degree-granting institutions including nearly 3 million exclusively online students by clarifying the state authorization requirements for postsecondary distance education. To ensure that institutions offering distance education are legally authorized and monitored…
Department Publishes Borrower Defense to Repayment Regulations
On November 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education announced final regulations to protect student borrowers against misleading and predatory practices by postsecondary institutions and clarify a process for loan forgiveness in cases of institutional misconduct. According to the Department: The final regulations include key provisions from the proposed regulations that will protect the rights of…
UPCEA Joins Multiple Distance Ed Orgs to Offer State Authorization Comments
UPCEA co-signed, with a coalition of other organizations with a direct interest in distance education, a letter commenting on the Department of Education’s proposed regulations on state authorization. UPCEA joined along with five other non-profit organizations garnering a collective total of more than 1,000 institutions innovating in offering distance education, the leading organization in higher…
Department of Education Releases Proposed Rules on State Authorization
The Department of Education released Friday July 22 their proposed regulations on State Authorization, following an earlier failure to reach consensus as part of negotiated rule making. State authorization for distance education — the proposed regulation for institutions administering a program in which a distance or online education student is present in another state. The administration has proposed…
Primers and Insights
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Access our resources providing an introduction to foundational topics in federal legislation and regulations impacting online and professional continuing education for universities and colleges. Read more.
UPCEA is a proud founding member of the Today's Students Coalition.
UPCEA 2025-2026 Policy Committee
Corina Caraccioli, Loyola University New Orleans, Co-Chair
Abram Hedtke, St. Cloud State University, Co-Chair
Bridget Beville, University of Phoenix
Curtis Brant, Bowling Green State University
Kristen Brown, University of Louisville
Amy Collier, Middlebury College
Christopher Davis, University of Maryland Global Campus
Ilona Marie Hajdu, Indiana University
Laura Hendley, Stevenson University
Gloria Niles, University of Hawaii System
Kelly Otter, Georgetown University
Erika Swain, University of Colorado Boulder
Craig Wilson, University of Arizona