Under federal rule, colleges must leave grads better off or lose financial aid
5 hours ago
- #arts-funding
- #higher-education
- #student-loans
- New U.S. Department of Education rule requires undergraduate programs to show graduates earn more than non-college workers, or risk losing federal student loans; graduate programs must exceed bachelor's degree holder earnings.
- Critics argue the 'do no harm' test overly emphasizes earnings, potentially devaluing low-earning but socially critical fields like arts, journalism, and early childhood education.
- Programs fail if they miss earnings thresholds for two out of three consecutive years; data shows over 800,000 students in likely-failing programs, with high rates in cosmetology certificates, associate degrees, and arts bachelor's/master's.
- The test excludes student debt consideration, and full implementation will phase in, with first low-earning designations possible in 2028-2029.
- Arts advocates highlight non-monetary success metrics (e.g., cultural impact, job satisfaction) and nonlinear career paths, where earnings often stabilize over time despite early unpredictability.