New on WCET Frontiers
Policy
The Three A’s in Action: What Accessibility, Accountability, and Accreditation Mean for Institutions Now
Published by: WCET | 4/21/2026
It was a big week for federal higher education policy. Last week began with the launch of negotiated rulemaking for the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee, signaling a bold plan for reform on accreditation. It closed with two significant regulatory actions: the release of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DoJ) interim final rule on digital accessibility and the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) proposed rules addressing accountability. […]
Policy
SARA, Sovereignty, and Access: Exploring Policy Change for Tribal Lands
Published by: WCET | 4/16/2026
Authored in collaboration with Cheryl Dowd, Senior Director, SAN & WCET Policy Innovations, Erika Swain, Assistant Director of Academic Compliance and Authorization, University of Colorado Boulder; and Mitchell Tiedman and Ella Reichard, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Law Clinic. The compliance challenges and negative outcomes that can arise around interstate distance education are well-documented: barriers […]
Policy
Interoperability Standards Are the Foundation for Emerging Workforce Policies
Published by: WCET | 3/17/2026
Federal and state policymakers are increasingly signaling that the future of workforce development, postsecondary education, and industry alignment is dependent on integrating systems and strategies. Recent policy actions, including the expansion of Workforce Pell, increased flexibility in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) implementation, federal investments through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education […]
Policy
What Week Two of AHEAD Rulemaking on Accountability Measures Means for Digital Learning
Published by: WCET | 1/21/2026
The new year began with the second and final week of The U.S. Department of Education’s (The Department) negotiated rulemaking for the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee. Week two focused on program accountability measures that will address consequences for failing programs. Processes were developed to address a program’s […]
Policy
AHEAD Week One Recap: Workforce Pell, State Roles, and Implications for Digital Learning
Published by: WCET | 12/18/2025
Last week marked the close of the first week of the second negotiated rulemaking to implement the higher education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21 (OB3). Convened by the Department of Education (the Department), the AHEAD negotiated rulemaking committee began its work by tackling one of the most closely watched […]
Practice
From RISE to AHEAD: What We Learned and What Comes Next in Federal Rulemaking
Published by: WCET | 12/4/2025
The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) completed the first of two negotiated rulemaking committees established to implement the federal statute, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Public Law 119-21 (OB3), enacted July 4, 2025. As we shared in a previous Frontiers Post, the Department first convened the Re-imagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee that recently […]
Policy
State Authorization Shifts Again: What’s Changing and Why It Matters
Published by: WCET | 11/13/2025
Like the “Mighty Yopp” from Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! the first federal regulation on state authorization of distance education in 2010 echoed a powerful message from the states: “We’re here!” That Federal regulation affirmed that states have enforceable legal requirements that institutions must follow when engaging in activities within their borders. In April […]
Policy
Negotiated Rulemaking Underway: Week One Review of the RISE Committee
Published by: WCET | 10/30/2025
The U.S. Department of Education will soon enter the second and final week of negotiated rulemaking for the Re-imagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee, which is developing changes to the Federal student loan programs as directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). As we prepare for the final week of discussions, we […]
Policy
Your Opportunity to Inform the Department of ED: New Rulemaking Impact on Digital Learning
Published by: WCET | 8/13/2025
Another year, another round of U.S. Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking, and once again, the results could have a big impact on students and the institutions serving them through distance education. On July 25, 2025, the Department released Public Hearing; Negotiated Rulemaking Committees. Two committees will be formed to develop future regulations affecting Title IV […]
Policy
What Might Happen to the Department’s Pending Regulations and Guidance?
Published by: WCET | 11/14/2024
The direction for regulations and guidance for digital and distance education shifted greatly with the recent election. As you may recall, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) was planning to release sweeping regulatory changes on distance education, accreditation, state authorization reciprocity, and mandatory fees for books and materials. They also planned changes to guidance […]