Policy Resources

Exploring Key Questions: Program-Level Repayment for Higher Education Accountability

A growing number of advocates and policy experts believe that institutions of higher education should be held accountable for repayment rates based on their specific program of study within the institution. To take a deeper look at how program-level repayment might be used as a tool for greater accountability and transparency, Higher Learning Advo...
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[STATEMENT] Public Comment on Quality and Innovation at U.S. Department of Education Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 14, 2018) — Today, Higher Learning Advocates submitted comments to the Department of Education as it considers a negotiated rulemaking process that could affect a wide range of higher education regulations related to quality and innovation in higher education. Higher Learning Advocates urged the Department to lim...
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[STATEMENT] Higher Learning Advocates Submits Comments Opposing Repeal of Gainful Employment Rule

For Immediate Release: September 13, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 13, 2018) — Today, Higher Learning Advocates submitted comments in response the U.S. Department of Education’s proposal to repeal the Gainful Employment rule, a federal regulation that holds certain programs at institutions of higher education accountable based on the ear...
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[STATEMENT] Public Comment on Quality and Innovation at U.S. Department of Education Hearing

Bipartisan advocacy group urges the Department of Education to offer regulatory changes “through the lens of putting student outcomes first”   WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 6, 2018) — Emily Bouck, Policy and Advocacy Director at Higher Learning Advocates, testified at a hearing held by the U.S. Department of Education today as it ...
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The Glossary of Higher Education Policy

Learn to speak higher ed wonk! The Glossary of Higher Education Policy is a compilation of some key words and terms that policymakers and advocates will encounter during discussions around higher education policy. The glossary sets out to provide a reference for policymakers, media, and analysts through concise definitions of commonly-referenced te...
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101: Pell Grant Rainy Day Fund

As the signature federal student aid program providing college access to low and middle-income Americans, the Pell Grant program is a vital bridge to higher education opportunity. Pell Grants have enabled millions of Americans to pursue higher learning by distributing need-based aid to students who otherwise would not be able to afford tuition. F...
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The Keys to Quality: Reforming Higher Education Accreditation Policy

The key to assuring higher education quality in the U.S. is accreditation, the complex system used by the Federal government as a gate-keeping mechanism to over $130 billion annually in federal student aid. But federal accreditation policy has become almost entirely focused on compliance and bureaucratic procedures, instead of what counts: student ...
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101: Accreditation

Accreditation is the linchpin of the federal role in higher education as the gate-keeping system for $120 billion annual investment in higher education . Looking to understand the complex and esoteric process that determines which colleges and universities get a “stamp of approval” to receive federal student aid? Our new accreditation ...
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