Alexander Seeks Input from Higher Ed Community on Accreditation, Risk Sharing, and Consumer Information
Releases staff white papers and requests comment by April 24
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, today released three staff white papers and asked for feedback on three issues related to reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: accreditation, risk sharing, and the collection of consumer information.
Alexander said: “As the committee continues its work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act this year, I am asking the higher education community—including students, parents and others interested in our colleges and universities—to tell us their thoughts on three important issues: how to improve our accreditation system, how to give colleges some ‘skin in the game’ as one way to discourage student overborrowing and excessive student debt, and how to make sure that data being collected to help students and their families be better consumers is useful, clear, and concise. All of these comments will be considered during the bipartisan reauthorization process that Sen. Murray and I will be developing."
Alexander released the following three staff white papers today:
1. Higher Education Accreditation: Concepts and Proposals
2. Risk Sharing: Concepts and Proposals
3. Consumer Information: Concepts and Proposals
He requested input on the topics to inform the committee’s reauthorization process. Comments should be sent to the following corresponding email addresses no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, April 24, 2015. All comments will be shared with Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and all members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
1. accreditation@help.senate.gov
2. risksharing@help.senate.gov
3. consumerinformation@help.senate.gov
Before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, Alexander served as governor of Tennessee, president of the University of Tennessee, United States Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, and professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
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