This week, the Veterans Education Project joined a coalition of Veteran and military-serving organizations calling on Congress to end the outdated 90/10 Rule and other sector-based accountability measures in higher education. These policies restrict the use of Student Veterans’ earned educational benefits based solely on an institution’s tax status rather than student outcomes, limiting choice and opportunity for veterans, service members, and their families. The coalition called for alignment with principles reflected in recent congressional action, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which moves federal policy toward sector-neutral, outcomes-based evaluation.
Under the current Higher Education Act framework, some institutions are singled out for penalty while nonprofit and public institutions are favored by default, regardless of how well veterans are actually served. For years, this asymmetrical policy framework has allowed some nonprofit higher education institutions to use veterans, service members, and their families to subsidize failing education programs for institutions favored through legislation.
We recognize and support congressional and Department of Education efforts, including the Elizabeth Dole Act, that signal a long-overdue shift toward transparency, performance, and data-informed decision-making. This is the same message VEP brought to the recent Negotiated Rulemaking committee that reached consensus, and it is the same message we will continue to share with the veterans community.
As an organization committed to protecting and expanding educational access for Student Veterans, service members, and their families, VEP is proud to support this call for thoughtful, evidence-driven reform. We believe all institutions, regardless of sector, should be measured by how well they serve veterans, not by outdated assumptions about their business model.
Read our letter here.
About the Author
Matthew Feehan, J.D., is a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and former infantry officer with extensive experience across military, legal, and federal contracting domains. As a Senior Policy Advisor at the Veterans Education Project, he brings a uniquely practical perspective to veterans’ policy, drawing from years of hands-on work within the Department of Justice, Department of Education, and the broader federal system.
