Advocacy Alert: USDE Announces Public Hearings on Negotiated Rulemaking Committee

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

October 6, 2023

As part of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s (MSCHE’s) strategic priority to promote advocacy initiatives for its members and others, we want to bring to your attention the recent announcement regarding higher education rulemaking for Student Loan Debt Relief.

The United States Department of Education (USDE) announced it will host Student Loan Debt Relief negotiated rulemaking and public hearings on October 10-11, 2023. from 10:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Read the announcement from USDE.

Materials for the public hearings, such as Federal Register Notices and Facts Sheets, Committee Members List, and Committee Protocols are available to review. Committee members from MSCHE member institutions include the following:

·         Melissa Kunes, The Pennsylvania State University, (primary)

·         Sarah Christa Butts, University of Maryland, (alternate)

·         Richard Haase, State University of New York at Stony Brook, (primary)

Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide comments at the end of each day.

Register for the public hearings.

USDE will provide information on how to request time to speak on the Department website.

MSCHE President Dr. Heather F. Perfetti served as a primary negotiator representing accrediting agencies on the Affordability and Student Loans Committee for the negotiated rulemaking on higher education issues in 2021. Read MSCHE President Dr. Heather Perfetti Named as Primary Negotiator on USDE Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.

Details regarding Institutional Quality and Accountability negotiated rulemaking are not yet available. MSCHE will continue to share additional information regarding negotiated rulemaking as it becomes available.

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