What Is the Review of Title IV Regulations? | What Topics Does the Review Address?
How Can I Share My Views? | What Information Is Available on this Site?
Where Can I Get More Information?

The Department of Education reviewed its regulations relating to the federal student financial aid programs. We solicited the views of our customers and partners— including students, schools, and financial institutions—to help us in this process. The Department's final report is now available.

What Is the Review of Title IV Regulations?

Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) governs the federal student financial aid programs. Under Section 498(B) of the HEA, the U.S. Department of Education reviewed the Title IV regulations that are currently in effect and that apply to the operations or activities of any Title IV participant. We collected the views of our customers and partners, including students, schools, and financial institutions. We also conducted our own analysis of our regulations. We then synthesized the information we collected and presented it in a report to Congress.

This review builds upon the information we have already collected through the negotiated rulemaking process and the Department's Customer Service Task Force, which conducted over 200 listening sessions and received over 8,000 comments.

What Topics Does the Review Address?

The Department's regulatory review collected the views of our customers and partners on the following five questions:

• Are there any regulations that are duplicative or no longer necessary?
• Are there any regulations that are not being interpreted and applied uniformly?
• Are unnecessary burdens being placed on schools through the eligibility and compliance process? Should the Department change how it considers eligibility and compliance issues?
• Are unnecessary costs imposed on institutions of higher education by regulations that were designed to apply primarily to industrial and commercial enterprises?
• Are there any regulations affecting public and private colleges and universities and proprietary schools that receive less than $200,000 in Title IV funds each year that could be improved, streamlined, or eliminated?

The Department also is engaged in a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens while simultaneously assuring the effective administration of the Title IV programs. This endeavor includes the recommendations of our customers and partners collected by the Customer Service Task Force. In addition, this current review examined the following other ways in which our regulations could be improved:

• In general, how can the Department's Title IV regulations be revised to make them more effective?
• How can we reduce administrative burdens while still assuring the effective administration of the Title IV programs?
• How can we improve the way we develop our regulations?

How Can I Share My Views?

• The Department hosted public comment sessions in Washington, DC, (September 13 and 14, 1999), Atlanta (September 17), Chicago (September 24), and San Francisco (September 27). Transcripts of two sessions are available on this site (see below).

• Although the comment period for this report has now ended, the Department continues to welcome written comments on how we may improve our regulations from interested individuals and organizations. You can email your comments to ODS_regs@ed.gov or mail them to:

  Colleen McGinnis
  U.S. Department of Education
  400 Maryland Avenue, SW
  ROB-3, Room 5102
  Washington, DC 20202-5132
  (202) 708-7263

What Information Is Available on this Site?

• The Department has transmitted its final report to Congress.

• The Department prepared transcripts of two public comment sessions (in portable document format (pdf) and MS Word):
  • Washington, D.C. (September 13, 1999) [266K]  |  [775K]
  • Chicago (September 24, 1999) [176K]  |  [533K]

• In a Federal Register notice published in August 1999, the Secretary announced that the Department would conduct this regulatory review process.
• Section 498(B) of the Higher Education Act requires the Department to conduct this regulatory review.
• Other regulatory improvement initiatives conducted by the Department in 1999 include the negotiated rulemaking process under Title IV of the Higher Education Act and the final report of the Customer Service Task Force. (Ed. Note:Last document no longer on-line)

Where Can I Get More Information?

For more information, please contact one of the following individuals or email ODS_regs@ed.gov.

• Colleen McGinnis
  Office of Student Financial Assistance
  U.S. Department of Education
  Washington, DC 20202
  (202) 708-7263

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

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Office of the Deputy Secretary