ED training sessions on Workforce Pell, student loan default prevention
The Department of Education (ED) this week announced a series of new trainings designed to help campus administrators navigate changes related to Workforce Pell and their responsibilities to prevent student loan defaults.
The first Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) announces a new Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) online training course to prepare financial aid professionals to administer student aid for students enrolled in approved Workforce Pell programs. The training provides an overview of approval processes, requirements for maintaining program eligibility and how to package and award aid to students in eligible programs. The learning track also includes training on managing Workforce Pell programs in a college’s Application to Participate in the Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (E-App) via Partner Connect and how to classify students as enrolled in a Workforce Pell program in the FAFSA Partner Portal. The training is self-paced and available on the FSA Training Center.
The second DCL announces a new initiative to support institutions as they work to manage and prevent student loan defaults. The new initiative will kick off with two webinars and will eventually include additional webinars, regional workshops, conference sessions and technical support for institutions. Official Cohort Default Rates (CDRs) for Fiscal Year 2023 are expected to be released this month. This will be the first year in recent memory that CDRs will exceed zero percent, as borrowers were required to return to repayment in the last year of the 2023 cohort.
The first webinar is scheduled for September 29 at 1:15 p.m. ET. It will focus on how to use tools available through the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), including the Delinquent Borrower report, the 24/36 Month Repayment report, the Loan Record Detail report and the draft cohort default rate calculation. The second webinar is scheduled for October 13 at 1:15 p.m. ET. It will focus on best practices to improve communication to, engagement of, and support for student borrowers.
ICYMI: AACC urges member comments on accreditation regs
Community college leaders have until September 21 to weigh in on ED’s proposed accreditation regulations. AACC is encouraging members to submit comments and reinforce several key priorities for the sector.
AACC supports the proposal’s transfer-of-credit provisions, which would require institutions to explain why credits are not accepted, helping ensure greater transparency and fairness for students.
At the same time, AACC will urge ED to better refine proposed cost-benefit analysis requirements so they rely on realistic measures and recognize that many student-focused activities cannot be reduced to economic calculations. Colleges already closely monitor expenditures and remain committed to fiscal responsibility.
AACC also opposes provisions requiring accreditors to enforce intellectual diversity and First Amendment protections. Community colleges already uphold First Amendment requirements, and involving accreditors in these areas could add unnecessary complexity while moving accreditation away from its core focus on quality assurance.
More broadly, AACC is concerned that the proposal would use accreditation to expand federal involvement in institutional practices and assign accreditors responsibilities that may fall outside their expertise or duplicate the work of other entities.
If you want to weigh in on the accreditation regulations or would like more information on these issues, please reach out to us at ogr@aacc.nche.edu.
ICYMI: ED reminds colleges to submit GE/FVT, STATS data
ED released an Electronic Announcement in August with information for colleges on reporting requirements under the current Gainful Employment/Financial Value Transparency (GE/FVT) framework and the forthcoming Student Tuition and Transparency (STATS) and Earnings Accountability framework.
The guidance reminds colleges of their responsibility to submit complete GE/FVT data for the 2024 and 2025 reporting cycles by Friday, January 15, 2027. According to the initial release, more than 1,900 institutions had not reported or had underreported this data.
In a subsequent EA issued September 2, there are still 1,790 institutions with missing information. The new EA provides more information on minimum reporting requirements for institutions and includes a spreadsheet of institutions that have not submitted 2024 and/or 2025 data.
The EAs also remind institutions that the deadline to submit GE/FVT data for the 2026 cycle is Thursday, October 1, 2026. The guidance details the process for submitting data and how colleges may elect to early implement the STATS accountability framework’s reporting instead.
AACC remains very interested in how community colleges are navigating the transition from GE/FVT to STATS reporting. Please respond to this email or reach out to AACC’s Office of Public Purpose and National Advocacy to share your experience.