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Higher Education Act "Neg Reg" Process Begins

NAICU Washington Update

September 16, 2008

The Department of Education has scheduled the public hearing portion of the negotiated rulemaking process - or "neg reg" - for Title IV (federal student aid) and Title II (teacher education) of the recently enacted Higher Education and Opportunity Act. This is the first step in implementing the new law. (See the Federal Register notice.)

Kick-off of the six public hearings will be at Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, on September 19. TCU Chancellor and NAICU Board Chair Victor Boschini will open the session. The Department of Education will conduct the hearing as a first-come, first-served open-mike opportunity for interested parties to comment on the legislation, and will also be accepting written comments.

NAICU will have representatives at most of the other five hearings as well: September 29, University of Rhode Island; October 2, Pepperdine University (Calif.); October 6, Johnson C. Smith University (N.C.): October 8, U. S. Department of Education (D.C.); and October 15, Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio).

While colleges may be overwhelmed with the many new reporting requirements in the reauthorized Higher Education Act, the Department is equally overwhelmed with setting the rules on the information they will have to collect. NAICU views it as beneficial to all parties that the process of defining the rules get underway as quickly as possible. The neg reg process is mandated by law for the student aid programs, as well as for many of the key compliance and reporting sections of the law, including accreditation. For more information on negotiated rulemaking in general, visit www.ed.gov/HEOA.

Contact

• Maureen Budetti
  maureen@naicu.edu