Major Updates

• The U.S. Department of Education has released Proposed Regulations for Public Comment.The regulations cover a wide range of topics including changes to accreditation, state authorization, student notifications, and other topics. If finalized before November, these changes would not go into effect until July 1, 2020. We encourage you to comment as an individual, from your private or career perspective, as well as share this information with other leaders involved in government affairs at your institution. Comments are due before July 12, 2019. Read the full rule and submit a formal comment.

• Senator Elizabeth Warren has recently gained the support of James Clyburn, a top ranking House Democrat, to create a stronger bi-cameral push for her plan to remove up to $50,000 of student loans for 42 million Americans. Their estimates say the bill would cancel student debt entirely for 75% of borrowers.

• The Education Department’s student aid chief, Mark Brown, who oversaw $1.5 trillion in student loans, has resigned amid ethics questions related to his board member role within a non-profit foundation. Mr. Brown, who headed the Office of Federal Student Aid starting in March, serves as a board member of the KnowledgeWorks foundation, which holds approximately $30 million in federal student loans, which was seen as a potential conflict of interest.

Other Reads

• U.S. says $168 million ITT for-profit student loans to be forgiven 6/14/19 (Reuters)
• Trump administration reviewing foreign funding at U.S. colleges 6/13/19 (PBS NewsHour)
• House passes immigration bill to protect ‘dreamers,’ offer a path to citizenship 6/4/19 (Washington Post)

We’d like for your input! Like this format? Submit comments, or ideas for topics of inclusion in this newsletter. For more information on UPCEA government affairs, contact Jordan DiMaggio ([email protected]).

Sign up to receive these monthly updates, or forward this link along to colleagues to get them in the loop!