CECU Daily Update Email

​In Case You Missed It
CECU Letter regarding the National Student Clearinghouse Report on College Completions
On December 12, Steve Gunderson, President and CEO of CECU, submitted a letter to Doug Shapiro, their Executive Director regarding the report addressing two major concerns: 1) they only count first-time college students (full or part-time) and 2) they only provide data on 4-year for-profit schools.
Click here to read the full letter.

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Feds Drop Experiment on Competency-Based Ed – Inside Higher Ed
The U.S. Department of Education has discontinued experiments on the disbursement of federal aid in competency-based education programs and ones that are a hybrid of competency-based and traditional academic programs, several sources said. ​

Education Department Memos Stir Debate At Betsy DeVos Hearing On Forgiving Student Loans – Newsweek
Two-year-old memos took center stage at a House Education Committee hearing on Thursday where Education Secretary Betsy Devos defended her position to only issue partial relief to some students who were defrauded by their schools. 

​Financial Aid/Student Loan Issues
Next Gen FSA Website Consolidation – IFAP
In keeping with this promise, two years ago FSA announced an initiative called Next Gen FSA to improve the way all our customers, including students, parents, borrowers, schools, and partners, interact with and manage the programs administered by Federal Student Aid.
 
Federal Loans and ISAs – Inside Higher Ed
Trump administration plans to create an experiment where a limited group of colleges could take on students’ federal loan debt and have them repay it through income-share agreements.
 
Despite High Default Rates, Federal Student Loans Grant Access to Higher Education, Report Claims – NASFAA
As lawmakers work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA), many higher education experts have addressed issues with the federal student loan program and analyzed whether it is helping students succeed. 

Meeting with VA officials
CECU's Exec. VP and Director of Government Relations, Mike Dakduk (middle), meets with senior Department of Veterans Affairs officials. Pictured here is Dr. Paul Lawrence (left), the Under Secretary of Benefits, and retired Army Sergeant Major Mike Stoddard (right), VSO Liaison for the Veterans Benefits Administration. 

​Member Spotlight
Community HigherEd Gives Back
The three Community HigherEd colleges including Clary Sage College, Community Care College, and Oklahoma Technical College took time on December 12, 2019 to give back to the community. 

​Education News
The cost of college increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years—here’s why – CNBC
Today, those costs are closer to $48,510 and $21,370, respectively. That means costs increased by roughly 25.3% at private colleges and about 29.8% at public colleges.
 
Importance Of College Drops Nearly 50% Among Young Adults In Just Six Years – Forbes
When asked how important a college education is today, 41% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 say “very important,” which is down a whopping 45% since 2013 when 74% said the same.
 
The 2019 Higher Education Top Ten List – Robert Kelchen
(1) College closures and mergers continue to get more attention, even if the rate of closures is still modest. 

​Education News
Why the Democratic Party fears Betsy DeVos – Washington Examiner
The Democratic Party has many irrational aspects, but its campaign against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is surely one of the worst. It could also cost them.