"Despite high-profile federal actions against universities like Columbia University; the University of California, Los Angeles; and others over the past few months, many higher ed watchers, including me, have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. While civil rights investigations, demands for massive settlements, cuts to grant funding and threats to institutional accreditation have led to real-world consequences, no institution has lost access to federal student loans."
"Without much outside attention at the time, the Biden administration developed powerful tools for the U.S. Department of Education to use against colleges. But, despite Friday's action against Harvard, this oversight muscle has not-yet-been employed by Secretary Linda McMahon. Given an antagonistic Trump administration, colleges should be aware of possible future action and prepare for federal enforcement under this enhanced authority."
"As those who work in federal compliance know, the regulations governing student loans are a tangled mess, one that has forcefully shifted every four years with the changing of presidential administrations. Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona put their regulatory agenda into overdrive, creating expanded oversight not contemplated by past administrations. Normally, that would mean a Trump department would pull back the reins, but that is not the pattern so far."
Federal actions have targeted several prominent colleges through investigations, settlement demands, grant cuts and accreditation threats, yet federal student loan access remained intact until Harvard's placement on heightened cash monitoring. The Biden administration created significant new enforcement tools for the U.S. Department of Education that broaden oversight of colleges. Secretary Linda McMahon has not widely used those tools so far, but an antagonistic Trump administration could activate them. Regulatory authority over student loans shifts with presidential transitions, and some Biden-era rules are being defended rather than rescinded, increasing the likelihood of robust federal enforcement. Colleges should prepare for enhanced oversight.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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