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Administration Planning Education Department Reorganization. The Trump administration is proposing a major overhaul of the U.S. Education Department's organizational structure, according to reports. The plan would eliminate or consolidate more than a half-dozen offices at the agency. The restructuring would affect nearly every major unit of the department, including K-12 education,...
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Bipartisan Budget Act Adds Ed Funding. Following a short government shutdown overnight, both chambers voted to approve spending for the federal government. The bipartisan budget bill funds the government through March 23 and raises spending caps. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 includes $4 billion for "student-centered programs that aid college completion and affordability," acco...
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Trump Talks About Community Colleges and Vocational Training. The Washington Postreports that President Trump had only one sentence relating to education in his State of the Union, and it was about vocational schools. Speaking at a GOP retreat after the address, he said, "We can open more vocational schools because we want every American to reach their full God-given potential." He...
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Labor Dept Issues New Internship Guidance. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced changes to the way it defines interns. DOL issued an updated fact sheet on internship programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The "primary beneficiary" Fact Sheet lists seven factors for determining whether an intern is an employee and thus should be paid. That guidance is consistent ...
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Response and Debate Follow Committee Passing of HEA Reauthorization. The House bill (H.R. 4508) to reauthorize the Higher Education Act would overhaul the federal student aid programs and eliminate some regulations on for-profit colleges, such as the 90/10 rule and gainful employment regulations. The bill takes some steps toward a unit-record system, Inside Higher Ed reports. It wo...
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Tax Bill Moves Forward Despite Educators' Resistance. Both the U.S. House and Senate voted to go to conference on their versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bills would make significant changes to higher education. Between the House and Senate versions of the legislation, the following changes would impact higher education institutions and students:
Endowment Tax
Eliminati...
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House Ed and Workforce Releases Draft HEA Reauthorization. Republican leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce released a bill that would reauthorize the federal law governing higher education, the Higher Education Act of 1965. The "Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act," H.R. 4508, was introduced by ...
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FAFSA Simplification Hearing and Bill. The Senate Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) committee will hold a hearing on Nov. 28 to take a look at simplifying the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). The committee will hear from witnesses representing researchers, students, schools and financial aid professionals on proposals to simplify the FAFSA. Committee Ch...
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House Tax Plan Would Hit Higher Education. Republican leadership in the U.S. House released its draft "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which would have major implications for the higher education community. A new tax would make private colleges subject to a 1.4% excise tax on the net investment income of their endowments. The provision would apply only to private institutions with at least...
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Hearing on Free Speech on Campus. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on free speech on college campuses. The only legislation proposed to address the issue is a House resolution (H Res 307) to ban campuses from designating specific areas where students can protest or pass out flyers. In September, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said tha...