Dive Brief:
- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R- FL) has renewed his efforts to spur changes in federal funding and assessment of colleges and universities. Working with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rubio is proposing “an alternative system of accreditation for high-quality American colleges, universities, and other higher education providers so their students can access federal financial aid.”
- A reboot of a 2015 legislative proposal, the bill calls for alternative metrics to gauge institutional merit in qualifying for federal student aid disbursement. According to a release, the plan will offer an “alternative, outcomes-based process to access federal student financial aid” that will give students the “ability to use federal student aid funds to attend institutions that offer high-quality, innovative, and effective programs and have a proven track record of successful student outcomes.”
- Rubio’s plan coincides with growing sentiment among federal lawmakers that regulation has limited institutional growth objectives and cost millions, which limits affordability and access.
Dive Insight:
If higher education advocates believed that for-profit institutions were a plague upon the industry, the potential proliferation of trade schools, bootcamps and other industry-specific training academies are sure to create headaches throughout the educational landscape.
For traditional community colleges, historically black colleges and other mission-based institutions, the effects could be devastating upon enrollment and tuition revenues. But these institutions could consider getting ahead of the trends and partnering with new educational companies to offer joint certification or credentialing programs that could promote transfer and skill-building pipelines in specific industries.