CECU Advocacy 


CECU is the national voice for postsecondary career education!

We are proud to advocate on behalf of our member institutions and the students they serve. CECU has continuously advocated for policies that ensure students from all walks of life have access to and the opportunity to succeed in higher education. We proudly represent institutions that cater to an under-served population of students that often need the flexibility and resources our member institutions provide.

​Over 83.5% of students attending postsecondary institutions, including career schools, received some form of Federal Aid in 2017/18 – the most recent data available. The actual partnership between public policy and our schools to provide access and education for those who seek to pursue a career, and the education that make them a professional. (source: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_331.20.asp) 
CECU advocates for policies that treat all schools – and all students – equally. We believe there should be one set of rules for all schools. We believe in appropriate outcome metrics for all programs at all schools in ways that protect both students and taxpayers. And, we advocate for maximum transparency of outcomes so that prospective students and parents can make the right decisions, fully informed of what the data means.
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Higher Education is governed by “The Triad” with states providing consumer protection, accreditors ensuring academic quality, and the federal government providing access through financial aid. In this context, we seek common rules and regulations across all sectors of higher education. But we seek to reduce the regulatory burden on all institutions of higher education – enabling schools to innovate and serve diverse populations. We totally reject targeting one sector of higher education for regulations not imposed on others. CECU believes that by creating a fair playing field and eliminating unnecessary regulations, innovation in higher education will increase and students will be better served.

CECU Government Relations Priorities for 2019

  1. A national commitment to provide access to postsecondary career skills education.
  2. Protecting Veterans’ access to postsecondary career education.
  3. A Higher Education Reauthorization that serves career education students and treats all institutions equally.
  4. Short-term Pell Grants, designed to help workers keep pace with new skill demands, should be available to all sectors of higher education – especially career schools!
  5. A Risk-adjusted Repayment Rate that does not penalize schools serving at-risk students.
  6. Maximum transparency of program outcomes for all schools and all programs – with common definitions of such outcomes.
  7. A restoration of the appropriate role for each leg of “The Triad”:
    1. Accreditors handle academic quality.
    2. State licensing agencies address student consumer protections.
    3. The federal government determines eligibility for participation in Title IV.
  8. A commitment to students impacted by school closures through a new Office of Continuing Education Services at the Department of Education. CECU proposes funding this new office through a $5 per student fee. The most recent annual enrollment trends in our sector places this figure at over $10 million dollars annually!
  9. Ensure CECU members and the students they serve impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are included in any federal COVID-19 relief funding.

Legislation

CECU tracks and monitors all legislation related to the Higher Education Act, Veterans Education, Financial Aid and Appropriations.

Regulation

CECU provides the latest updates and analysis on regulations such as Gainful Employment and Defense to Repayment.

Resources

CECU's Resource Center provides members with access to the latest webinars, fact sheets and other information to help your institution.