CECU Daily Update Email

CECU News - Important to Your School
CECU Condemns the “College Affordability Act”
Following the introduction of the “College Affordability Act,” CECU president and CEO Steve Gunderson sent a letter to Representative Bobby Scott, Chair of the House Committee on Education & Labor, to express disappointment on the bill:
 
​“We have reached out to you (your staff and your committee colleagues) since January 3rd, seeking constructive collaboration that can produce a Higher Education Act reauthorization that serves all students and all schools, especially those that have for years and continue to provide exemplary service to students and exist as a cherished part of their communities.”

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​CECU News - In Case You Missed It
Legislation in the 116th Congress Against the Proprietary School Sector (Updated) – Career Education Colleges and Universities
Do you want a list of the proposals currently offered in the 116th Congress to harm our sector and our ability to provide students with postsecondary career education? Here it is!
 
CECU Statement on the House Education Committee’s Higher Education Bill
“We are disappointed in the House proposal continuing the old ideological debates when the nation is seeking 19 million new skilled workers each year! It is time to get beyond politics to establish a higher education roadmap for the future. Senator Alexander’s proposal gets it right: All programs at all schools must meet the same standards of quality and outcomes as a condition of participation in federal financial aid.”

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​Education Politics and Policy
A call to bring back ‘gainful employment’ – Community College Daily
A civil and human rights organization is calling for strong “gainful employment” regulations to protect college students, in particular African-Americans and Latinos, from unscrupulous for-profit schools.
 
Why CA didn’t overhaul student aid this year — but could soon – Cal Matters
At least 11 bills aimed this year to lower the cost of higher education in California. Here’s what happened to them and why.
 
Dismantling Broken Power Structures in Higher Ed – Roosevelt Institute
Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Students Not Profits Act to remove for-profit colleges from eligibility for federal student financial aid.
 
Analyzing the College Affordability Act: Changes to Pell and Other Grants – NASFAA
his article is the first in a series of six that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the College Affordability Act, the House Democrats’ bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. This article details the proposed changes in the College Affordability Act affecting the Federal Pell Grant and other federal grant programs.
 
Hits and misses in the House higher education bill – The Washington Post
Higher education experts are divided on whether the legislation goes far enough, too far or has struck the right balance. Here’s a quick look at a few provisions that some say are worth advancing or revising. 

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Veterans for Career Education (VCE) - In Case You Missed It
 
Steve Gonzalez, Executive Director of Veterans for Career Education, participated in a veterans education policy panel discussion, alongside veteran service organizations, at the National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators 44th Annual Conference. The discussion surrounded the implementation of the Forever G.I. Bill, quality of education, and higher education credentials.
 
 
Veteran organizations express support for Senator Alexander’s bipartisan efforts on higher education policy. Two letters by VCE, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the US (ENAGUS), and Reserve Officers Association (ROA) supporting Chairman Alexander’s HEA bill.
 
Letter 1
Letter 2

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​Financial Aid and Student Loan Issues
Oregon Attorney General Requests Student Loan Forgiveness Extension For Closed Schools – OPB
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and 29 other attorneys general around the nation Thursday requested that the U.S. Department of Education extend the time frame to cancel student loans for students of now-closed schools.
 
BREAKING: Trump Administration Blocked Attempts to Address Public Service Loan Forgiveness Problems – Forbes
National news organizations are reporting on deliberate and coordinated efforts by the Trump administration to thwart an independent federal oversight agency from cracking down on student loan servicers that have misled borrowers or steered them away from Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

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​Education News
Why Companies Like Starbucks, Taco Bell, Disney And Cigna Are Paying For College: A Better Bottom Line – Forbes
It’s estimated more than 60% of U.S. companies offer financial assistance to employees to further their education, a trend that’s picked up steam the past five years following a lull during the financial crisis of 2008-09.
 
At Educause, a Push to Monitor Student Data is Met with Concerns About Privacy and Equity – EdSurge
Colleges are increasingly using Big Data to monitor students, control their access to information and set them on learning paths they may not have chosen, argues Chris Gilliard, a professor at Macomb Community College, who says the practices add up to “digital redlining.” 

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Opinion
Free college is the wrong answer – Politico
But their proposals miss the point and might make matters worse. They would allocate vast sums of money without nuance or precision, and at the same time crowd out other workforce initiatives that bolster economic opportunity.