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
Certifying Compliance in an Uncertain Landscape: Survey Findings on the Impact of Professional /Licensure Requirements
Published by: WCET | 2/12/2026
Professional licensure compliance often operates behind the scenes, but its influence on higher education has grown in recent years. It can shape which programs institutions offer, where students are able to enroll, and how institutions evaluate regulatory risk. The State Authorization Network’s (SAN) new report, Between the Lines, Behind the Work: Survey Findings on the […]
Policy
Celebrating Compliance Creativity: Meet the 2025 SANsational Award Winners
Published by: WCET | 2/5/2026
Every year, the SANsational Awards remind us of something we in the State Authorization Network (SAN) community already know- compliance work is not just about checking boxes. It is about problem-solving, collaboration, innovation, and, most importantly, protecting and empowering students. Since 2015, the State Authorization Network (SAN), a network of WCET, has awarded SANsational Awards […]
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 […]
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
SAN Releases a New “How To” Handbook to Build an Institution’s State-to-State Authorization Plan
Published by: WCET | 9/18/2025
The State Authorization Network (SAN) is excited to share SAN’s newest comprehensive resource, the State-to-State Institutional Approval for Distance Education Handbook, developed in partnership with Shari Miller, Institutional Compliance MATTERS. This handbook is the third major SAN report designed to demystify complex compliance requirements when institutions offer interstate opportunities, whether through online courses or experiential […]
Policy
Insights into AI’s Transformative Role in Higher Education: WCET’s 2025 Survey
Published by: WCET | 8/21/2025
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant possibility on the higher education horizon. It’s here. And it is reshaping how institutions operate, teach, and support learners (in fact, I’d say it is changing the way most places operate, whether they’re ready for it or not). Since WCET’s first AI survey in 2023, the pace of […]
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 […]