CECU Daily Update Email

COVID-19 Resources & Webinars
On March 13, 2020, Career Education Colleges and Universities launched an information webpage for institutions responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19). CECU’s Coronavirus webpage includes a multitude of helpful resources to assist higher education leaders understand the various legal and operational implications of temporarily closing a campus or adapting courses to online learning.

View all past webinars here.

Guide for the Distribution of Student Grants under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the proprietary school sector has a unique opportunity. The federal government has included our schools in the Emergency Stabilization Fund for institutions of higher education. Starting the week of April 13, 2020, institutions will be given the opportunity to direct critical Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund grants to those students at your institutions most impacted by the pandemic. This guide, developed with the quick help from sector leaders, will support institutions in understanding what they should know regarding the emergency financial aid grants, potential formulas for the distribution of such grants, and a sample grant application form. The guide will be updated regularly based on ongoing stakeholder feedback and federal updates so check back often.
View the guide here.
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Upcoming Webinars
"Coping with COVID-19" Financial Resources Webinar for Small Businesses & Non-profits
Wednesday, April 15, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm (EDT)
Join Lender Relations Specialist Rod Johnson of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), as he and DC SCORE conduct a webinar to discuss the financial tools and resources now available to help small businesses and non-profits navigate today's unprecedented economic challenges. Get immediate answers to questions like these:
Which SBA programs are available to me? What is the difference between an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan? Should I apply for both? What portion of these loans can be forgiven? What are my options if I'm a sole proprietor or an independent contractor? How do I apply?

Member Spotlight
Independence University announces winners of the 2020 Distinguished Thesis Award
Independence University is proud to announce three graduates who are being awarded the Distinguished Thesis Award for 2020. The Independence University Distinguished Thesis Award is given in recognition of outstanding work and effort by students in their reflective scholarship.
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Joel English: Six suggestions for distance learning success – The Virginian-Pilot
Because being a successful online student requires more effort — not less — it is important that every online learner consider a few strategies as they approach online courses.

Herzing University Offering New Online Interdisciplinary Professional Studies Degree
Herzing University, an accredited, private nonprofit institution, has launched an online Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies (BSIPS) degree.

Coronavirus Education Politics and Policy
Update – Small Business Administration Expands Its FAQs on Paycheck Protection Program – Duane Morris
The SBA continues to clarify aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program. Effective on April 13, the SBA updated the original FAQs from April 3 to add question numbers 19 to 25. The new FAQs and answers cover the following principal areas.

The Higher Education Act and the Pandemic – Inside Higher Ed
Top Republican Senate aide says lawmakers were close to a deal to update the nation’s main higher education law. Then the pandemic put everything on hold.

Secretary DeVos Announces $3 Billion in Emergency Education Block Grants for Governors
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today that nearly $3 billion will quickly be made available to governors to ensure education continues for students of all ages impacted by the coronavirus national emergency.

Tips For Conducting Remote Title IX Investigations During COVID-19 – Hogan Marren Babbo & Rose, LTD
With the increase and extension of stay-at-home orders across the nation, higher education institutions in the midst of transitioning their classes online are now also tasked with transitioning current, pending, and new Title IX investigations to virtual platforms.

Education News
Biden’s Free-College Plan Is a Solution in Search of a Problem – National Review
Former vice president Joe Biden made a stunning announcement last month: In a major leftward move, he would back Senator Bernie Sanders’s original free-college plan for families earning up to $125,000 a year.

Coronavirus Education News
Insights on Adapting to a Virtual Learning Environment from the President of Southern New Hampshire University – Harvard Business Review
I recently had the honor of speaking with Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University and a visionary in how learning can happen anywhere and anytime.

How Economic Collapse and a World War Transformed Higher Ed — and Why Things Will Be Different This Time – The Chronicle of Higher Education
The era following World War II led to a great expansion of American higher education, which directly and indirectly drove the economy, led to new inventions and innovations, and helped export American culture and ideas.

Additional Coronavirus Coverage - Updated Daily
How Higher Education Leaders Should Respond To The Coronavirus Financial Crisis – Forbes; COVID-19 Forces Science Labs Online and in Homes – EdSurge; University Expands Chatbot Use to Handle Students’ Coronavirus Questions – Campus Technology. 

Coronavirus - Resources

• CER Coronavirus (COVID-19) News Coverage
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Web Center - NASFAA
• CHEA- and USDE-Recognized Accreditors and COVID-19 Information - CHE