U.S. Department of Education Rulemaking 2023-2024
Watch for timely updates to the resources on this page regarding the 2023-2024 USED Rulemaking.
2023 - 2024 Department of Education Federal Rulemaking
USED Website for issue papers, rulemaking notices, recording, transcripts and negotiator proposals: Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2023-24.
Institutional Quality and Accountability - Rulemaking held Winter 2024
Issues: Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and related issues; institutional eligibility, including state authorization, definition of distance education as it pertains to clock hour programs and reporting for student enrolled primarily online; return to title IV, cash management to address disbursement of funds; and eligibility requirements for the Federal TRIO programs.
- March 24, 2023 - Intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee.
- Issues under consideration of particular interest to SAN members: The Secretary's recognition of accrediting agencies, in 34 CFR part 602 and related parts; Institutional eligibility under 34 CFR 600.2, including State authorization as a component of such eligibility under 34 CFR 600.9; Third-party servicers and related issues, such as reporting, financial responsibility, compliance, and past performance requirements as a component of institutional eligibility for participation in the title IV, HEA Federal student financial assistance programs under 34 CFR 668.25 and 682.416; and definitions for “distance education” under 34 CFR 600.2 as it pertains to clock hour programs and reporting for students who enroll primarily online.
- April 24, 2023 - SAN & WCET Public Comment Federal Rulemaking 2023.
- November 29, 2023 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Negotiator Nominations and Schedule of Committee Meetings
- January 2, 2024 - U.S. Department of Education announcement of negotiators, initial issues papers, agenda, and summary of issues for the first week of rulemaking.
- January 18, 2024 - WCET Frontiers Major Changes to Distance Ed Proposed: Department of Education Back to Rulemaking Table.
- February 13, 2024- WCET Frontiers Major Changes to Distance Ed: Department of Education Rulemaking Week 2 Update.
- March 4-7, 2024 - Rulemaking Committee Voting: Cash Management Non Consensus PDF* (362K), State Authorization Non Consensus PDF* (216K), Distance Education Non Consensus PDF* (181K), R2T4 Non Consensus, PDF* (250K), Accreditation Regulatory Non Consensus PDF* (767K); TRIO - Final Text Consensus Reached PDF* (313K)
- March 20, 2024- WCET Frontiers Major Changes to Distance Ed: Department of Education Rulemaking Final Session Update.
- April 5, 2024 - WCET Frontiers Call for Action: Contact Elected Officials About Proposed Distance Education Regulations
Student Loan Debt Relief (loan forgiveness) - Rulemaking held Fall 2023
Issue: student loan forgiveness. Those topics are the authorities granted to the Secretary in HEA Section 432(a), which relate to the modification, waiver, or compromise of Federal student loans.
- July 6, 2023 - Intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee.
- August 31, 2023 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Negotiator Nominations and Schedule of Committee Meetings.
- December 2023 - Final Summary of Rulemaking Committee Decisions ; Agreed Upon Language (Consensus) for some sub-issues
- February 2, 2024 - Announcement of Fourth Session of Committee Meetings-Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs, Student Debt Relief
- February 23, 2024 - Consensus Language