On Monday, the Trump Administration released its principles to reform the Higher Education Act. The principles are largely centered on the growing need for some type of postsecondary credential, and how to ensure students have access to high-quality education without incurring massive debt. The principles include:
- Accreditation Reform: The Administration contends that accreditors are stifling innovation, and instead should be focused on educational quality. To do this, it urges Congress to streamline accreditation standards and remove distinctions between accreditors.
- Innovation in the Education Marketplace: The Administration proposes a pilot program to "increase access to market-driven workforce development programs.”
- Aligning Education and the Workforce: The Administration urges Congress to encourage partnerships between postsecondary institutions and employers. It also embraces the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to short-term programs, and supports reforming the Federal Work Study program to focus on career and workforce skills.
- Increasing Institutional Accountability: The Administration would require educational institutions to share the financial responsibility of student loans.
- Accelerating Program Completion: The Administration suggests that Congress should require financial aid award letters to include policies on prior learning assessments.
- Supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): The Administration recommends making permanent the President’s Board of Advisers on HBCUs and the Interagency Working Group responsible for improving the capacity of HBCUs.
- Encourage Responsible Borrowing: The Administration asks Congress to take steps to improve guidance given to students in the student loan process.
- Simplifying Student Aid: The Administration supports consolidating FAFSA, offering income-driven repayment options and eliminating public service loan forgiveness in favor of a loan forgiveness plan linked to income-driven repayment over 15 years.
- Support Returning Citizens: The Administration proposes providing additional support to help of formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into communities.
- Additional Information about Schools/Programs: The Administration supports providing prospective students with more information institution-level data.
ACTE largely supports some of these priorities, particularly expanding Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, shorter-term program, but could have concerns about others that would reduce postsecondary program quality and financial aid. However, the proposed principles were largely aspirational and did not include significant detail upon which to base specific positions. ACTE will continue to work closely with federal policymakers, including the Administration, on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act to ensure the law meets the needs of today's CTE students.
Comments