Quality Assurance and Federal Policies
Bob Collins, WGU Mary Alice McCarthy, New America
Founda=on
Competency Based Educa1on Financial Aid Overview Bob Collins, Vice President,
Western Governors University June 2015
Federal Financial Aid Delivery
• Academic Year (AY) – payment periods – ED defines AY as minimum of 24 credits and 30 weeks
• Standard Term (Full-‐=me, ¾ =me, ½ =me) – Semester/Quarter/Trimester – Fall/Spring and some=mes summer (header or trailer)
• Non-‐Standard Term (Full-‐=me, ¾ and ½ =me) – Mul=ple entry points -‐ Borrower Based Academic Year
• Non-‐Term and Clock Hour – Full-‐=me -‐ successfully complete 24 credits or 900 hours
Measurement of SAP Competency Based Model
• Degree Plan – no elec=ves • Academic Ac=vity Verifica=on (AAV) • Qualita=ve Measure (Pass = B or be[er)
– Mastery of subject ma[er (3.0 GPA exceeds 2.5 required)
• Quan=ta=ve Measure – A[empted versus completed – Ins=tu=onal policy on treatment of transfer credits
• SAP appeal approval requires Academic Plan • On-‐Time Progress (OTP) to Gradua=on
– At least 12 CUs per six month term for undergrad/ 8 CUs grad
SAP Overview • Financial aid only awarded up to 150% of the program
length • At least 66.67% Cumula=ve SAP = Good Standing • Less than 66.67% Term SAP = Warning • New students less than 3 CUs per term = Terminated • Termina=on and SAP Appeals
– Extenua=ng circumstances -‐ documenta=on & situa=on improvement
– If approved, must complete 100% un=l cum SAP > 66.67%
• Unintended consequences • Mee=ng OTP in a term does not necessarily mean the student
is mee=ng cumula=ve SAP requirements • 12/20 = 60.00% -‐ OTP is good, SAP is bad -‐ discouraging
Student Fraud Considera1ons
• WGU New Student Orienta=on – Begins each month prior to start – no cost, non-‐credit – Sekng proper expecta=ons – academic and financial
• Delay loan disbursement for all new students – 30 day delay (45+ days of academic effort before $$$ )
• Duplicate address reports (US and E-‐mail, IP) • Third party iden=ty management/biometrics • Verifica=on of iden=ty
– Notarized statement of educa=onal purpose
Other Regulatory • Direct Assessment 34 CFR 668.10
– DCL GEN-‐13-‐10 (March 19, 2013)
• Defini=on of Credit Hour 34 CFR 600.2 – www.ifap.ed.gov Hot Topics -‐ Program Integrity
• Distance Educa=on Defini=on 34 CFR 600.2 – …support regular and substan=ve interac=on between students and faculty
• Return to Title IV (R2T4) 34 CFR 668.22 – Academic -‐related ac=vity
• CBE Dear Colleague Le[er – December 2014 – h[p://ifap.ed.gov/dpcle[ers/GEN1423.html
Experimental Sites, Legisla1on, Thought-‐Leaders
• Federal Register: July 31, 2014 – Four new experiments to consider – Invi=ng schools to new experimental sites ini=a=ves – h[ps://experimentalsites.ed.gov/exp/index.html
• HEA Reauthoriza=on – Accountability, Accredita=on, Affordability and Fin Aid
• American Enterprise Ins=tute – h[p://www.aei.org/?s=competency+based+educa=on
• NASFAA Task Force on Innova=ve Learning Models July 2015 • www.CBEinfo.org
Approval for Veterans Programs
• Department of Veteran Affairs – Educa=on Liaison Representa=ve (ELR)
• State Approving Agency – Consumer protec=ons
• Regional Processing Office – Student eligibility – Cer=fica=on – Disbursement
Approval for Ac1ve Duty Program
• Payment is capped at $4,500 per fiscal year and a maximum of $250 per credit hour.
• Execu=ve Order 13607 and the Principles of Excellence – All ins=tu=ons providing postsecondary educa=on programs through the Department of Defense (DoD) Tui=on Assistance (TA) Program must agree to the DoD Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Repor1ng Post 9/11 (CH 33)
• Rate of pursuit applies specifically to Chapter 33. It differs from training =me, which is used for all other Chapters. Schools cer=fy actual credit. VA calculates rate of pursuit by dividing the number of credit (or credit hour equivalents) being pursued by the number of credits considered to be full-‐=me at the school. The resul=ng percentage is the student’s rate of pursuit.
Examples: If full-‐=me is 12 credits, rate of pursuit for: 6 credits (or credit equivalents) is 50% (6 ÷ 12 = 50%) 7 credits (or credit equivalents) is 58% (7 ÷ 12 = 58%
which rounds to nearest 10th = 60%)
Reporting Training Time • The VA has a formula to calculate training
time. This formula is used for all chapters of benefits except Post 9/11 (CH 33).
• Double-click in the table below to input other dates and weeks.
BEGINNING ENDING SEMESTER EQU. TRAININGDATE DATE WEEKS HOURS HOURS TIME
02/01/13 07/31/13 26 12 8.3076923 1/2
FOR SEMESTER HOURS - INPUT BEGINNING DATE ENDING DATE AND NUMBER OF SEMESTER HOURS BEING CERTIFIED.
Regional Processing Centers