Client Login

Go

Call Us Today: 562-436-3900

Survey Reaffirms That Colleges Are Fed Up With Federal Regulation

September 28, 2011 ~ The Chronicle of Higher Education ~ Kelly Field  

Colleges feel burdened by federal regulation and believe many rules could be eliminated without harming students or taxpayers, according to a new survey of senior college executives and administrators.

The survey, which Congress ordered as part of the 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, asked respondents about 15 regulations stemming from the law that colleges had identified as being particularly onerous. Administrators described 14 of the 15 rules as "burdensome" or "overly burdensome," and said many could be eliminated "without losing necessary protections." They said doing so would yield significant savings that could be used to expand counseling and customer services and increase need-based student aid.

In addition, a majority of administrators said that the government's "regulatory-burden calculations" underestimate the burden that complying with the federal rules places on colleges. Many respondents described the negotiated rule-making process—in which panels of stakeholders meet to craft regulations—as effective but needing change.

The survey was conducted by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, which is delivering its findings, in the form of a report, to Congress and to the secretary of education on Wednesday. The committee will hold a hearing on its findings on Friday and plans to follow up on the survey with in-depth case studies of burdens and costs at a sampling of institutions.

It's far from clear, however, that anything will come of the effort. Colleges have been complaining about their regulatory burden for years, and the rules imposed on them have only multiplied. The latest reauthorization of the Higher Education Act—the same law that required the Advisory Committee's survey—doubled the reporting burden for colleges.

This is the fourth large-scale effort since 1995 to reduce the regulatory burden, but the first to collect data at an institutional level, according to the report.

To obtain a copy of the report, click here.

 

    View All Events

    2012 NACCAS Accreditation Handbook Available

    January 14, 2012 ~ NACCAS

    NACCAS has published their 2012 Edition of their Accreditation Handbook - dated January 1, 2012.  As of that same date, they updated their Standards and Policies as well as their Rules of Practice and Procedure.

    Click here to download a pdf copy of each document.  They can be found on the left side of their page under "Member Resources." 

     
    2012 ABHES Accreditation Handbook Available

    January 14, 2012 ~ ABHES

    ABHES has published their 17th Edition of their Accreditation Handbook - dated January 1, 2012.

    Click here to download a copy.

     
    2012 DETC Accreditation Handbook Available

    January 14, 2012 ~ DETC

    DETC has published their 19th Edition of their Accreditation Handbook - dated January 4, 2012.

    Click here to download a copy and a pdf of the changes that were made for this years publication. 

     
    What's the Real Impact of the President's Student Loan Plan?

    October 27, 2011 ~ Education and Labor Committee ~ RSS Article

    White House officials announced a new plan they claim will significantly lower student loan payments. In a speech yesterday at the University of Colorado, President Obama told students, “Americans could see their payments go down by hundreds of dollars a month.” Sounds great – but like most things with this administration, the facts reveal that the average student loan holder is unlikely to see any real impact from this plan.
    Read more...
     
    Obama's Student-Loan Plan Scores Political Points but Offers Limited Relief

    October 26, 2011 ~ The Chronicle of Higer Education ~ Kelly Field

    With the nation's student-loan debt approaching $1-trillion, and default rates at their highest level in a decade, President Obama is taking modest steps to ease students' debt burdens.
    Read more...