Education Resources
Senator Spellings Agrees to Delay Accreditation Changes
Bipartisan Group Asks Education Secretary
To Hold Off On Changes to College Accreditation
Angela Januzzi
June 29, 2007
These past few weeks, a bipartisan group of 18 members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions sent a request to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, asking her to consider delaying her desired changes to the country’s college accreditation system.
The committee initially asked Spellings to wait until after the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to review the system or enact any changes. The committee expressed support of Spellings’ goal to strengthen the accreditation system and support better quality higher education. However, the letter states that: “… given our Committee's expectation that the current accreditation provisions will soon be changed, and that a new round of rulemaking on this issue will subsequently be needed, we respectfully ask that you refrain from proposing new regulations on accreditations until after the Higher Education Act is reauthorized.”
FAFSA4caster, Pell Grants, and Student Loan Scrutiny
Margaret Spellings, the "FAFSA4caster"
And an Update on Student Loan Scrutiny
Patrick Sutton
March 22, 2007
Yesterday, Margaret Spellings announced the release of a new online tool that will help high school juniors plan for college. The “FAFSA4caster” was designed to calculate a student’s eligibility for federal student aid, and reduce the time that it takes to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid “FAFSA”.
"Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings. "Families need more information—sooner—about students' federal aid eligibility so that they can plan ahead for college. The FAFSA4caster gives families an important tool they can use to make decisions about the future."
Education Department Backs Down: Gates Speaks Up
Department of Education Announces
Less information will be requested from Colleges:
Gates Demands More Action From Congress
Patrick Sutton
March 8, 2007We’ve seen over and over again that the current political atmosphere is one of accountability and transparency: this is just as apparent in Education as it is in the debate over the appropriation of earmarked funds. As a result of the push towards a measurable pedagogic system, the Department of Education increased the qualifying questions on its annual survey of colleges. However, by attempting to gather more comprehensive information on student performance at specific colleges, it seems that the Department of Education has ruffled a few feathers.