The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced final rules regarding predatory recruitment practices against veterans, access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students, and accountability when colleges and universities change owners.
Regarding predatory practices of for-profit schools, these new regulations close loopholes in the 90/10 rule, which requires 10% of revenue of such schools come from non-federal sources.
“Veterans and their families deserve the very best education America has to offer,” said U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough. “It’s our job at VA and across the federal government to deliver on that promise, making sure that veterans and their families not only have access to affordable education through the GI Bill – but also that they are protected from education fraud and abuse. Even though this final rule has no direct impact on GI Bill eligibility, our continued collaboration with ED to implement this critical change is paramount to our efforts to serve veterans and protect the integrity of the GI Bill.”
As for those incarcerated, they will now be able to access ED’s Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites initiative and “Fresh Start” initiative, helping them financially on their educational pursuits.
Lastly, these new rules flesh out requirements and processes for changes in school ownership, including mandating that schools notify both ED and students at least 90 days prior.