- ED looks to revamp several Title IV program regs
- SUNY to expand ASAP to other community colleges
- Construction training to help rebuild western North Carolina
ED looks to revamp several Title IV program regs
The U.S. Education Department (ED) announced on Thursday that it plans to hold negotiated rulemaking to streamline and improve several Title IV programs.
ED’s Office of Postsecondary Education said in a release that it will seek public feedback on “ways to streamline higher education regulations and federal assistance programs to create efficiencies for students, institutions, and key stakeholders, as well as ideas to improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment plan, and the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan.”
“This process will focus on how the department can rightsize Title IV regulations that have driven up the cost of college and hindered innovation,” said Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron. “Not only will this rulemaking serve as an opportunity to identify and cut unnecessary red tape, but it will allow key stakeholders to offer suggestions to streamline and improve federal student aid programs.”
ED will also host two public hearings – an in-person meeting on April 29 and a virtual hearing on May 1. In addition, it will accept written comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov.
SUNY to expand ASAP to other community colleges
SUNY Westchester Community College (WCC) in New York has released results of a study showing its Viking ROADS (Resources for Obtaining Associate Degrees and Success) program increased graduation rates by 12 percentage points.
The study, which tracked nearly 600 students over three years, found that students enrolled in Viking ROADS graduated at a rate of 35.5%, compared to 23.7% for those receiving standard services. The program also increased full-time enrollment by as much as 18 percentage points in early semesters.
Viking ROADS is modeled after the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), which nearly doubled graduation rates at CUNY community colleges and yielded similar results in Ohio. WCC noted that students in Viking ROADS receive comprehensive support: dedicated advising, tutoring, career counseling, textbook and transportation stipends, and reserved seats in key courses. In return, students commit to full-time study and regular engagement with advisors.
The State University of New York system used releasing of the WCC results to announce that it would provide $75 million to expand the ASAP model to 25 campuses statewide. The program already serves over 4,000 students, with plans to grow to 6,000 by fall and 10,000 within two years, according to a release.
Construction training to help rebuild western North Carolina
Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) has launched a new accelerated construction workforce training program to help western North Carolina workers secure stable jobs while helping to rebuild their communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and Lowe’s are providing assistance to the program, which is free to students through a full scholarship. The first six-week training course begins April 9.
NCCER’s Rapid Recovery Construction Academy provides free construction training and job placement services to individuals in areas impacted by natural disasters. NCCER and Lowe’s previously teamed in 2023 after Hurricane Ian to help rebuild Fort Myers, Florida.
“Throughout this long recovery from Hurricane Helene, Blue Ridge Community College remains dedicated to collaborating with our partners to support the community and strengthen the workforce,” said BRCC President Laura Leatherwood, said in a release. “Key to this effort is expanding the reach of our region’s construction trades industry, and we are deeply grateful to Lowe’s for its support through the NCCER Rapid Recovery Construction Academy.”
