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Arlington, Va. -- The U.S. Department of Education today announced that borrowers with successful borrower defense claims will be entitled to a rebuttable presumption of full student loan relief. This comes after a March 18, 2021, announcement that the Department was rescinding the 2019 guidance published by the Trump Administration and “adopting a streamlined approach for granting full relief under the regulations.” Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire had this to say in response to today's announcement: "Students whose institutions mislead or defrauded them are entitled to relief on their federal student loans. However, the Department’s new policy creates a perverse incentive for the filing of frivolous claims. We call on the Department to immediately develop a clear and well-defined partial relief methodology that’s informed by feedback from impacted stakeholders and that’s fair for students, institutions, and taxpayers." CECU continues to work with bipartisan allies in Congress to advocate for legislative reform to prevent fraudulent claims and protect student borrowers across all schools and all sectors. Additionally, CECU looks forward to working with the Department and other stakeholders during the upcoming negotiated rulemaking to further improve the borrower defense process. ### Please direct media inquiries to Jenny Faubert, Vice President of Communications, at Jenny.Faubert@career.org
Arlington, Va. -- Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) today endorsed the Time for Completion Act, introduced by Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT). The bill would increase student outcome reporting requirements for schools serving non-traditional students and make these outcomes available to the public. The bill would provide for more accurate reporting of student outcomes, particularly for non-traditional students, across all sectors of higher education. "We applaud Representative Hayes for her commitment to student success, transparency, and accountability for all institutions of higher education," said CECU President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire. “This legislation is an important step toward ensuring that all institutions in all sectors are held accountable for their student outcomes. This bill will empower students and policy makers with more accurate data to help them identify high and low-performing schools in every sector." View the full bill text here. ### Please direct media inquiries to Rachel Tripp, Director of Communications, at Rachel.Tripp@career.org
CECU Acquires Career Education Review, Names Jenny Faubert Vice President of Communications7/12/2021
Arlington, Va. -- Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), the national association representing postsecondary career education schools, continues to expand its communications outreach and media capabilities with the acquisition of Career Education Review (CER). Jenny Faubert has served as Editor-in-Chief of CER since 2014. She will retain this title at CECU and serve as the association’s Vice President of Communications. Rachel Tripp will continue as CECU’s Director of Communications. "This addition will not only expand the scope and visibility of CER, but it will also provide additional value to our members by increasing our communications capabilities and media expertise," said CECU President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire, "With her many years of sector experience, Jenny is an excellent addition to the CECU team and we look forward to her leadership as we use this new structure to offer new and innovative products under the CER label. " Since 1926, Career Education Review has served as the daily pulse of the career education community and the primary news source for those interested in the sector. In addition to the monthly print publication and daily news updates, CER will be expanding its offerings in the coming weeks to include a variety of new and innovative products available to CECU members. “CER has been a valuable resource for the career education sector for 95 years, and I am thrilled to continue that tradition at CECU,” said Jenny Faubert, “Fifteen years ago I entered the sector because I could relate to the students; it is an honor to continue serving postsecondary career education schools and their students in a new capacity at CECU!” Faubert is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Prior to her work with CER, she held communications-related roles for the Imagine America Foundation and the National Geographic Society. CECU's acquisition of CER is effective today, July 12, 2021. ### Please direct media inquiries to Rachel Tripp, Director of Communications, at Rachel.Tripp@career.org
Arlington, Va. -- Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), along with a group of 10 additional senators, sent a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the Department's upcoming Title IV rulemaking.
CECU RESPONDS TO OIG REPORT ON SALE OF POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS TO DREAM CENTER FOUNDATION7/1/2021
Arlington, Va. -- In response to a report released by the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General which found that the Department took unprecedented actions before and after the sale of Education Management Corporation institutions to the Dream Center Foundation, Career Education Colleges and Universities released the following statement from President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire: "The Dream Center change in ownership transaction had significant red flags that were overlooked. CECU is concerned that staffing shortages at the Department contributed to this failure and we support increasing resources dedicated to review such transactions in a timely yet thorough manner." CECU continues to work with bipartisan allies in Congress to advocate for regulatory reform around change of ownership with institutions of higher education. On April 20, 2021, CECU submitted a letter for the record as part of the U.S. House of Representatives hearing on for-profit college conversions. The letter made recommendations to help solve the delays, inefficiencies, and red tape that plague the pre-acquisition review and change of control application process at the Department. The letter is available here. BACKGROUND The report took issue with the Department's decision to retroactively provide temporary approval for the conversion of two of the institutions to nonprofit status. This unprecedented and legally murky action contributed to the OIG determination that the Department's oversight was not thorough enough to ensure Dream Center complied with requirements for participating in Federal Student Aid programs. The report also took issue with the Department's decision to reduce the letter of credit amount that Dream Center was required to post by about $86 million, despite a pre-acquisition report which found significant financial risks associated with Dream Center's purchase of the 13 institutions. Read the report in its entirety here. ### Please direct media inquiries to Rachel Tripp, Director of Communications, at Rachel.Tripp@career.org
Arlington, Va. -- Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) today announced a new partnership as members of the Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center's prestigious Advisory Council. “We are thrilled to add Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) as a member of our Advisory Council,” said Janet Bray, Chief Executive Officer for the CCD Center, “CECU’s commitment to career readiness and helping learners of all ages find the right career path for them makes CECU a welcome addition." The CCD Center's mission is to make career readiness the first priority of the American education system. They seek to equip learners of all ages with the skills and education to facilitate high-quality career goals - to the benefit of jobseekers, employers, and the U.S. economy. The CCD Center’s Advisory Council comprises leaders from education, business, government, and non-profit organizations. In addition to CECU’s recent joining, other organizations include Boston University, Western Governors University, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and Strada Education Network. Nicholas Kent, CECU's Senior Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs who will be representing CECU on the CCD Center's Advisory Council, had this to say about the collaboration: "As the only national trade association that represents private career schools across program disciplines, CECU is excited to collaborate with the CCD Center to raise awareness that all forms of educational and occupational pathways deserve dignity and respect. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we already see that the needs of students and the labor market look significantly different than just 16 months ago. We look forward to working with our Advisory Council colleagues to reimagine what it means for students to be career and future-ready in a post-pandemic world." BACKGROUND: The Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center is an industry-led nonpartisan coalition committed to making career readiness the first priority of American education and dedicated to transforming career development through priorities including education reform, research initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and more. Learn more about the CCD Center by visiting www.ccd-center.org. ### Please direct media inquiries to Rachel Tripp, Director of Communications, at Rachel.Tripp@career.org
Arlington, Va. -- In an exchange during a June 24 House Education and Labor Committee Hearing, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona stated his support for equity of treatment of students and institutions across all sectors of higher education.
In response to Representative Fred Keller's assertion that "all educational institutions need to be treated the same, whether proprietary or not-for-profit", Secretary Cardona emphatically replied, "I agree, yes." Secretary Cardona went on to assert the importance of protecting and supporting all students by making sure that "they are getting a good return on investment wherever they go, community schools, community colleges, four-year, two-year, private... [and] protect them wherever they go." "We agree with Secretary Cardona that all schools should be treated equally and held accountable for outcomes," said CECU President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire, "We are happy to see his commitment to protecting all students in all sectors of higher education as the Department moves forward with negotiated rulemaking." |
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