October 03, 2023
Biden Administration Puts Grad Schools in the Hot Seat
As graduate students make up an increasingly larger share of the federal student loan portfolio, the U.S. Education Department is looking to gather more information about the programs receiving federal dollars and how students fare in them—a step that could lead to greater federal and public scrutiny of graduate education.
The department is adding new requirements on graduate and other programs that leave students with debt they can’t pay off as part of a new financial value transparency framework and gainful-employment rule released last week. The department and advocates say the new rule will help protect students from programs that leave them with debt they can’t afford, or that leave them worse off. Colleges and universities are concerned about unintended consequences and the costs to comply with the new framework. The department’s transparency measures will apply to all programs in all sectors—a shift from previous accountability efforts, which largely focused on for-profit colleges.
The department is adding new requirements on graduate and other programs that leave students with debt they can’t pay off as part of a new financial value transparency framework and gainful-employment rule released last week. The department and advocates say the new rule will help protect students from programs that leave them with debt they can’t afford, or that leave them worse off. Colleges and universities are concerned about unintended consequences and the costs to comply with the new framework. The department’s transparency measures will apply to all programs in all sectors—a shift from previous accountability efforts, which largely focused on for-profit colleges.