New Federal Rule Ties Higher Education Funding to Student Earnings
What happened
Sheahon Zenger was named president of Illinois Wesleyan University. Separately, a new U.S. Department of Education rule, the Student Tuition and Transparency Program and Earnings Accountability rule, requires higher education institutions to demonstrate that students earning bachelor’s degrees earn more than the average high school graduate in their state. If a program fails this earnings test for two out of three years, it loses eligibility for the federal Direct Loan program.
From wglt.org
Why it matters
The rule places financial accountability on educational programs by linking federal funding eligibility to post-graduation earnings. This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to hold institutions accountable and drive down costs in higher education.
From wglt.org
Who's involved
- Illinois Wesleyan UniversityIllinois Wesleyan University, the institution subject to the new federal funding rules.
- Sheahon ZengerSheahon Zenger, the new president of Illinois Wesleyan University.
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- Illinois Wesleyan UniversitySpeculative
Illinois Wesleyan University might lose eligibility to participate in the federal Direct Loan program if its programs do not meet the earnings requirements.
- IllinoisSpeculative
The state of Illinois's program viability could be tied to the state average earnings required by the federal rule.
Keep exploring
The entities involved
-
Illinois Wesleyan University
liberal arts college located in Bloomington, Illinois
Nothing else this week.