Resources

Click on a topic below to be taken to a full list of related resources.

*Higher Education Act - Administration & Regulations*Higher Education Act – United States Code

  • Link to the Higher Education Act as contained in the U.S. Code. 

U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague Letters (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Dear Colleague Letters issued by the U.S. Department of Education from 1994 to the present. These letters provide guidance and announcements for the administration of programs administered under the Higher Education Act.

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Dear Colleague Letter from the U.S. Department of Education outlining the changes made to the Higher Education Act by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. 

Federal Student Aid Handbook (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Provides guidance to institutions of higher education for the administration of federal financial aid programs. Topics covered include student and school eligibility and calculation of financial aid awards.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations – U.S. Department of Education (Government Printing Office)

  • Regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education for the administration of federal education programs. 

Negotiated Rulemaking (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Negotiated rulemaking is a process used by the U.S. Department of Education to develop regulations governing Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Under this process, the Department works to develop regulations in collaboration with representatives of the parties who will be significantly affected by the regulations. 

Negotiated Rulemaking 2012 - 2014 (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Topics covered include use of debit cards and other banking mechanisms for disbursing Federal Student Aid funds; preventing fraud and abuse in Title IV, particularly in distance and online learning programs; state authorization for programs offered through distance or correspondence education; state authorization for foreign locations of institutions located in a state; clock to credit hour conversion; gainful employment; campus safety reporting; definition of “adverse credit” for the Direct PLUS Loan Program.

Negotiated Rulemaking 2011 (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Topics covered include income contingent and income based repayment for student loans, student loan discharge for total and permanent disability, teacher preparation programs 

Negotiated Rulemaking 2009-2010 (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Topics covered include gainful employment, state authorization Title IV institutional and student eligibility, ability to benefit, incentive compensation, definition of a credit hour, satisfactory academic progress, return of Title IV funds, foreign school participation in Title IV. 

Negotiated Rulemaking Spring 2009 (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Topics covered include institution and lender requirements for federal student loans, Federal Work-Study, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, the Federal Pell Grant Program, the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP), accreditation, migrant education, TRIO programs and GEAR UP.  

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), including FERPA regulations, legislative history, and guidance for institutions, students, and parents. 

Financial Responsibility Composite Scores (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Under the Higher Education Act for-profit and non-profit institutions are required to annually submit audited financial statements to the Department of Education to demonstrate their financial heath for participating in Title IV programs.

Proprietary Schools 90/10 Revenue Percentages (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Annual reports containing information regarding the amount and percentage of proprietary institutions’ revenues from Title IV sources and non-Title IV sources.

*Title IV Federal Student Aid – Programs, Data, & Statistics*Student Aid on the Web (U.S. Department of Education)

  • A portal of information for students and families on federal student aid programs. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Managed by the Office of Federal Student Aid, the FAFSA is the form used by current and prospective college students to determine eligibility for Title IV student financial aid. 

FAFSA Forecaster (U.S. Department of Education)

  • An online tool that allows students and families to estimate their expected family contribution and amount of student aid they might be eligible to receive. 

Net Price Calculator Center (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Allows students and parents to locate the net price calculators for institutions of higher education participating in Title IV student aid programs. 

Federal Pell Grant Program Annual Data Books (U.S. Department of Education)

  • The Federal Pell Grant End-of-Year Report presents primary aspects of Federal Pell Grant Program activity for each award year including tables on distribution of Pell grant funds and other Title IV assistance by family income, expected family contribution, type of institution, etc. 

Campus-Based Programs Annual Data Books (U.S. Department of Education)

  • These data books provide fiscal information and recipient data for the current year and institutional allocation data for the following year. Programs included are the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, the Federal Work-Study, and the Federal Perkins Loan programs. 

Federal Student Loan Cohort Default Rates (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Searchable databases for federal student loan cohort default rates for Stafford and Perkins Loans. 

FAFSA Volume Reports (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Data on the number of FAFSAs completed by postsecondary schools, states, and high schools. 

Trends in Student Aid (College Board)

  • A College Board report detailing recent trends in student aid of varied types (grants, loans, work-study, and tax benefits) and varied sources (federal and state governments, colleges and universities, employers, and other private entities). 

Household Debt and Credit Report (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

  • The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Household Debt and Credit Report provides a quarterly snapshot of household trends in borrowing and indebtedness, including data about mortgages, student loans, credit cards, auto loans and delinquencies. 

National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) (U.S. Department of Education)

  • This study examines the characteristics of students in postsecondary education, with special focus on how they finance their education. 

National Student Loan Data System (U.S. Department of Education)

  • The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education's central database for student aid. NSLDS Student Access provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and grants so that recipients of Title IV Aid can access and inquire about their Title IV loans and/or grant data. 

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (U.S. Department of Education)

  • An independent committee providing expertise on student aid to Congress and the Secretary of Education.  

Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery Project (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

  • Sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery Project, has produced multiple recommendations from a wide variery of groups and organizations for changes to the current federal student aid programs.

*Non- Title IV Federal Student Financial Assistance for Higher Education*Tax Benefits for Education – Publication 970 (Internal Revenue Service)

  • IRS document describing federal tax benefits for education.  

Internal Revenue Service Individual Income Tax Return Statistics (IRS)

  • IRS website provides individual income tax return data and statistics on tax returns claiming various education tax benefits such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and student loan interest deduction. 

GI Bill (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

  • Further information on the legislation that provides financial support for education and housing to veterans including resources on how to apply for assistance, tools for choosing a school, and a number of links to online student veteran communities. 

Aid for Military Families (U.S. Department of Education)

  • The Department of Education maintains information on various educational benefits for military families, including information on the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, limited interest rates under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, ROTC scholarships, and scholarships offered by various veterans’ service organizations. 

Military Education Support (Today’s Military)

  • Information on and links to various higher education benefits for members of the military, including Tuition Assistance, loan repayment programs, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges. 

Federal Fellowship and Traineeship Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Programs (American Association of Universities)

  • The American Association of Universities website provides information on major federally-sponsored graduate fellowships and postdoctoral programs from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of State, and NASA.

*Higher Education Data and Statistics - Institutions, Students, Enrollment*Condition of Education (NCES)

  • A report available through the National Center for Education Statistics that provides trends and summary statistics on education.  

Digest of Education Statistics (NCES)

  • A database providing statistical information on education from prekindergarten through graduate school.

United States Census Bureau – Educational Attainment Data (U.S. Census Bureau)

  • U.S. Census Bureau educational attainment data from the American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and the Decennial Census.  

United States Census Bureau – School Enrollment Data (U.S. Census Bureau)

  • U.S. Census Bureau school enrollment data from the American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, Survey of Income and Program Participation, and the Decennial Census.  

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) (NCES)

  • A database with information from all higher education institutions participating in Title IV federal student aid programs. Data points include enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, finances, institutional prices, and student financial aid. 

College Navigator (NCES)

  • A tool students and families can use to search for information on colleges and universities. Information available includes: program completion data, graduation rates, institutional prices, and student financial aid data.  

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (National Student Clearinghouse)

  • The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center produces reports on a number of topics including postsecondary student attainment and graduation rates, postsecondary enrollment and degrees, and student rates of mobility and transfer among postsecondary institutions. 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provides international comparisons for a host of issues including postsecondary (tertiary) rates for college enrollment, graduation, and attainment.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (National Science Foundation)

  • The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics is the nation's leading provider of statistical data on U.S. science and engineering and performs a variety of data collections related to research and development, the science and engineering workforce, U.S. competitivenes in STEM, and the progress of STEM education. 

Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (U.S. Department of Education)

  • This study examines students’ education and work experiences after they complete a bachelor’s degree. 

Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Crime and safety data required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act. 

Clery Act Compliance Review Reports (U.S. Department of Education)

  • The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information.   

Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Provides data required by the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act which requires co-educational institutions of postsecondary education that participate in a Title IV, federal student financial assistance program, and have an intercollegiate athletic program, to prepare an annual report on athletic participation, staffing, and revenues and expenses, by men's and women's teams.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Student Athlete Completion/Graduation Rates (NCAA)

  • Completion and graduation rates for NCAA student athletes, searchable by school, conference, and sport.  

State Reports on the Quality of Teacher Preparation (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Title II of the Higher Education Act requires annual reports on the quality of teacher preparation, including the pass rates of graduates of schools of education on state certification assessments. The Department maintains a website of all state reports and the Secretary of Education's annual report.  

Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching)

  • The Carnegie Classification is a framework for classifying colleges and universities into groups of similarly comparable institutions based on research activity, degrees conferred, teaching, and student enrollments. 

ACT Data (ACT)

  • Program participation and performance results from the ACT. 

SAT, PSAT, and AP Data (College Board)

  • Program participation and performance results for the College Board’s SAT, PSAT, and AP programs. 

Graduate Enrollment and Degrees (Council of Graduate Schools)

  • The Council of Graduate Schools’ annual report on graduate school applications, first-time and total graduate student enrollment, and graduate degrees and certificates conferred.

GRE Data (Educational Testing Service)

  • GRE General Test Data.   

Medical School Student Data (Association of American Medical Colleges)

  • Data on U.S. medical school applicants, enrollment, graduates, MCAT scores, and residency applications.   

LSAT Data (Law School Admission Council)

  • Data on LSAT test takers including LSAT test administrations, ABA applicants, admissions, matriculations, and enrollments.   

GMAT Data (Graduate Management Admission Council)

  • Data on GMAT scores and test taker demographics.  

*Federal Funding for Higher Education*U.S. Department of Education Budget Tables (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Detailed tables laying out the President’s request for the Department of Education’s budget and Congressional action for Department of Education funding.   

U.S. Department of Education Congressional Budget Justifications (U.S. Department of Education)

  • These documents prepared by the Department of Education provide justifications to Congress for the President’s budget request. These documents provide detailed background information on many higher education programs administered by the Department of Education. 

American Association of Universities Budget Tables

  • The American Association of Universities tracks research and education programs for higher education outside of the Department of Education including the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Agriculture Department.

*College Costs, Tuition, & State Finance*TCS Online: Trends in College Pricing  (Delta Cost Project, American Institutes for Research)

  • A searchable database of information on institutional revenues and spending, performance and enrollment from the Delta Cost Project. 

Trends in College Pricing (College Board)

  • A College Board annual report detailing the recent trends in undergraduate tuition and fees, room and board, and other estimated expenses related to attending colleges and universities. 

College Affordability and Transparency Center (U.S. Department of Education)

  • The site highlights institutions of higher education with high and low tuition and fees as well as high and low net prices. 

State Higher Education Finance Report (State Higher Education Executive Officers)

  • An annual publication by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEOO) that provides a review of state and local support for higher education, tuition revenue, and enrollment trends for the most recent fiscal year. 

National Association of State Student Aid and Grant Programs (NASSGAP)

  • Publishes results from a yearly survey regarding state-funded expenditures for postsecondary student financial aid. 

Grapevine (Illinois State University)

  • Annual compilations of data on state support for higher education since 1960. 

College and University Endowments (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

  • Chronicle of Higher Education listing of the market values of 833 endowments serving institutions in the United States and Canada. 

Executive Compensation Public and Private Colleges (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

  • Chronicle of Higher Education annual survey listing salaries of public and private college presidents. 

Education Pays (College Board)

  • A report detailing information on public and private benefits of higher education. 

 

*Accreditation*National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) (U.S. Department of Education)

  • NACIQI's homepage. Find the Committee's meeting schedule, member contact information, overview of their review process, and various websites and supporting documents on higher education accreditation. 

NACIQI's Accreditation Policy Recommendations 

  • The majority and minority NACIQI recommendations from April 2012. 

Accrediting Agencies Approved for Title IV Purposes (U.S. Department of Education)

  • A list of accrediting agencies whose member institutions are eligible to participate in the federal student financial assistance programs administrated by the Department of Education under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. 

Final U.S. Department of Education Staff Reports for Recognition of Accrediting Agencies

  • Final U.S. Department of Education staff reports for recognized accrediting agencies from the last three years. 

Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Access data on institutional and programmatic accreditation for all accredited colleges and universities. 

CHEA Almanac Online (Council for Higher Education Accreditation)

  • Comprehensive reference for recognition status of accrediting organizations, recent accrediting actions, number of institutions and programs accredited by recognized accrediting organizations and institutions and programs operating outside the U.S. accredited by U.S. accrediting organizations. 

American Council on Education

  • ACE's National Task Force on Institutional Accreditation report issued in July 2012.

 

Congressional Committees with Oversight of Federal Higher Education Programs

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

House Committee on Appropriations

House Committee on Ways and Means

House Committee on the Budget

House Armed Services Committee

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

House Committee on Agriculture

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and the Pensions

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Finance

Senate Budget Committee

Senate Armed Services Committee

Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Joint Committee on Taxation  

Federal Science and Research Agencies Supporting Higher Education

Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Science Foundation (NSF)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Science

 

Higher Education News Sources

Chronicle of Higher Education

Inside Higher Ed

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Education Week

Politico Morning Education

 

*Other Resources*Congressional Budget Office (CBO) - Education

  • The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides budgetary and economic information to the U.S. Congress including baseline budget projections, legislative cost estimates, analysis of federal mandates. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

  • The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.

U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (OIG)

  • The U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General issues audit, inspection, and investigative reports on higher education programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.  

THOMAS (Library of Congress)

  • Federal website providing federal legislative information, including bills and resolutions; Congressional activity, schedule; Congressional Record, Committee information, treaties, Presidential nominations.