Student Defense Publishes New Paper with Brookings Institution on How ED Can Exercise Its Authorities to Protect Students and Promote Equity in Higher Education

WASHINGTON, DC – Student Defense published a new paper today, titled Protection and the Unseen: How the U.S. Department of Education’s Undeveloped Authorities Can Protect Students and Promote Equity in Higher Education. The paper will be presented today at a Brookings Institution event at 10:00 AM EDT, “Accountability in Higher Education: Using Evidence to Inform Regulatory Policy.”

The paper is available here.

A webcast of the presentation and discussion, beginning at 10:00 AM, is available at the Brookings Institution here.

Protection and the Unseen, authored by Student Defense President Aaron Ament, and Vice President and Chief Counsel Daniel Zibel, identifies underused statutory authorities that the Department of Education can use to promote equity and protect students and student loan borrowers. Any college or university receiving funds under the Direct Loan program signs an agreement that grants the Department significant power to further the goals of the Higher Education Act. The paper lays out how a future Secretary of Education could use these agreements to mandate “quality assurance” programs, promote social equity, and create structures for institutions to have financial “skin in the game” with respect to student loan repayment.