Higher Ed News
October 31, 2014
Final Gainful Employment Rule Removes Default Rate Metric
The Education Department’s (ED) final “gainful employment rule,” which was released yesterday, will hold vocational programs accountable to just one of the two outcome metrics that were proposed in the March draft rule. Cohort default rates (CDRs) were eliminated from the legislation, meaning that debt-to-earnings ratios will be the only criteria upon which individual career education…
October 30, 2014
UW Ranked 14th Best University in the World by U.S. News & World Report
The University of Washington was ranked the 14th best university in the world by U.S. News & World Report’s inaugural “Best Global Universities Ranking,” which was released on Tuesday. Unlike U.S. News’s national rankings, which focus on undergraduate admissions data and graduation rates, these new rankings were based on research-heavy factors such global research reputation,…
October 23, 2014
ED Releases New PLUS Loan Rules
It will soon be easier for students and parents with adverse credit histories to qualify for federal PLUS loans. Under new the Education Department’s (ED’s) new rules – which were released on Wednesday and are expected to take effect in March – ED will review only two years (rather than five) of a prospective borrower’s…
October 9, 2014
UW Cohort Default Rate Remains Very Low Relative to National Average
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently released its annual update on federal student loan cohort default rates (CDRs), which measure the frequency with which student borrowers at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) default on their federal loans. Although the UW’s CDR rose while the national CDR declined, the UW’s rate still remains well below…
October 7, 2014
Kaplan’s New “Open College” May Not Be a Bargain for All Students
On Monday, Kaplan University launched “Open College” which is intended to help adult students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Studies by offering credit for a combination of competency-based course assessments, experiential learning, and external exams (AP, IB, CLEP, DSSTs, etc.). Open College will include free online courses and mentoring to help prospective…
September 10, 2014
Rankings Abound
The Equity Line, among others, highlights how the recent NYT rankings of colleges by enrollment of Pell Grant recipients is a nice gesture, but lacking in many ways. The University of Washington (and most public institutions!) was not evaluated as part of the effort, though one-quarter of its undergraduate population received Pell Grant funding last…
July 8, 2014
Four Year Degrees and Tuition Freeze
Posted by Corrin Sullivan, Intern at the Office of Planning & Budget and Educational Policy student through the month of July 2014. My focus is on higher education access and policy. I look forward to sharing newsworthy events in the higher ed world with you. Let’s start with a quick summary of two articles from this past week…
June 26, 2014
Congress Introduces Bills to Reauthorize Higher Education Act
As the UW’s Office of Federal Relations reported on their blog, yesterday Senate Democrats released plans to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Their proposal focuses on four main goals: Increasing affordability and reducing college costs for students, Tackling the student loan crisis by helping borrowers better manage debt, Holding schools accountable to students and…
June 18, 2014
“Degree Attainment Around the World (Cup)”
On Monday, The Equity Line posted the following piece about how the U.S. compares to the other World Cup countries in terms of degree attainment. More Than Just a Game: Degree Attainment Around the World (Cup) Posted on June 16, 2014 by Kaylé Barnes and Joseph Yeado “Defying commentators, critics, and prognosticators, the U.S. has…
May 30, 2014
Higher Ed News Roundup
Here’s a quick roundup of some of this week’s headlines in higher ed news. Report Argues Gainful Employment Rules Could Hurt For-Profits’ Students According to a study commissioned by the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, up to 44 percent of students at for-profit colleges could lose access to federal financial aid under the…
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