The Veterans Education Project (VEP) is steadfast in its mission to advocate for policies that empower veteran and military students. Today, we announced the submission of a formal letter to Secretary-Designate of Education Linda McMahon urging the Department of Education to amend language in the 90/10 Rule that exceeds its authority and harms both Veterans’ and Servicemembers’ access to education.
The letter calls attention to extraneous preamble language in the 90/10 Rule which excludes revenue from online and hybrid non-Title IV programs. This language goes beyond Congressional intent and contradicts the bipartisan agreement achieved during the negotiated rulemaking process.
The Risks for Veteran Students
If left unamended, the exclusion of online and hybrid program revenues could harm Veteran and Military students by:
- Restricting Access: Limiting the ability of veterans to enroll in programs tailored to their unique needs.
- Undermining Innovation: Penalizing institutions offering flexible, high-quality distance education options.
- Contradicting Bipartisan Consensus: Overstepping the broad-based agreement reached during the negotiated rule-making process.
VEP’s Call to Action
VEP is urging the Department of Education to align the 90/10 Rule with the original intent of ARPA and the negotiated rulemaking outcomes. This means removing the extraneous preamble language and allowing distance education programs to be included in the 90/10 formula calculation.
We stand with veteran students and their families in advocating for access to the high-quality education they have earned through their service. Distance education plays a crucial role in meeting the unique needs of the Military and Veteran communities, and we cannot allow regulatory overreach to jeopardize their opportunities.
VEP remains committed to working collaboratively with the Department of Education, lawmakers, and other stakeholders to ensure the best educational outcomes for Veterans and Servicemembers.
Read our Letter to Secretary McMahon as well as our Press Release.
