U.S. Dept. of Ed. Report Supports Distance Ed.
Filed in archive Articles of note... by mstandaert on April 15, 2005
From Inside Higher Education ...
A program that exempts certain institutions from the "50 percent rule" has been a success and should be significantly expanded, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The rule, which bars federal financial aid from students attending institutions that either offer more than half of their courses online or enroll more than half of their students in online programs, was implemented to act as a check on diploma mills and other shady online degree programs. According to a report from the Education Department, those schools that have been granted exemptions have seen enormous growth in enrollments,
particularly of less affluent and nontraditional students. The rate of growth in access to education for those groups prompted the department to call for an immediate expansion of the program to 100 institutions, up from the current cap of 35, and for the end of the 50 percent rule when the Higher Education Act is renewed, either this year or next. While pleased at the increased access to education that relaxing the rule has led to, many higher education organizations said eliminating the rule would be unwise. Becky Timmons, director of government relations at the American Council of Education, said, "One enormous opportunity for abuse
in distance education is rapid expansion."
A program that exempts certain institutions from the "50 percent rule" has been a success and should be significantly expanded, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The rule, which bars federal financial aid from students attending institutions that either offer more than half of their courses online or enroll more than half of their students in online programs, was implemented to act as a check on diploma mills and other shady online degree programs. According to a report from the Education Department, those schools that have been granted exemptions have seen enormous growth in enrollments,
particularly of less affluent and nontraditional students. The rate of growth in access to education for those groups prompted the department to call for an immediate expansion of the program to 100 institutions, up from the current cap of 35, and for the end of the 50 percent rule when the Higher Education Act is renewed, either this year or next. While pleased at the increased access to education that relaxing the rule has led to, many higher education organizations said eliminating the rule would be unwise. Becky Timmons, director of government relations at the American Council of Education, said, "One enormous opportunity for abuse
in distance education is rapid expansion."Permalink: U.S. Dept. of Ed. Report Supports Distance Ed.
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