Correspondence

Dear Secretary Duncan:

On October 29, 2010, the Department of Education finalized its program integrity rules, which significantly expanded the department's authority to require institutions of higher education offering programs leading to gainful employment to obtain approval of new academic programs before awarding Title IV funds to students enrolled in those programs. Under the new regulations, proprietary institutions of higher education must seek and obtain prior approval for all programs before beginning any new instructional program. 

Prior to these regulations, the department only required approval for new "non-degree programs" or new academic programs representing an increased "level of offering" (e.g. the first program at a master's level for an institution that did not previously offer such programs). This requirement applied equally to public non-profit, private non-profit and proprietary institutions of higher education. 

To read the full letter, click here.