Federal Register #2026-07666

Proposed Rule: Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell (STATS) and Earnings Accountability

This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) from the Department of Education outlines significant regulatory changes for higher education institutions participating in Title IV programs: - Government Buyer: - United States Department of Education - Office of Postsecondary Education - Scope of Rulemaking: - Amends regulations for institutional eligibility, general provisions, and the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program under the Higher Education Act (HEA) - Implements statutory changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) - Key Requirements: - Introduces an earnings accountability framework restricting Direct Loan eligibility to programs whose graduates meet specified earnings benchmarks - Replaces the debt-to-earnings metric with an earnings premium measure - Requires institutions to report detailed program-level data, including tuition, fees, and all forms of financial aid - Expands transparency and public reporting requirements for program outcomes - Strengthens institutional compliance and administrative capability standards - Establishes a quality assurance system for compliance - Includes provisions for program closure, appeals, and new definitions for earnings - Applicability: - Applies to all postsecondary programs qualifying for Title IV, HEA assistance - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or vendors are mentioned, as this is a regulatory action, not a procurement of products or services

Description

This is a proposed rule published by the Department of Education to amend regulations governing institutional eligibility and the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The proposal implements statutory changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) signed in 2025, introducing an earnings accountability framework to limit Direct Loan eligibility to programs whose graduates meet certain earnings benchmarks. It includes requirements for institutions to report program-level data such as tuition, fees, and financial aid, and aims to strengthen accountability and transparency in higher education funding.

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