Federal accountability system won't compare colleges or assign scores, as Obama sought, but will instead be a data-rich, consumer-facing tool on access, affordability and performance.
Education Department and regional accreditors seek common ground on competency-based education, including what the faculty role should be in the emerging form of higher education.
As colleges increasingly turn to outside companies for a range of services relating to financial aid, the Education Department steps up its regulation of those companies.
The implosion of Corinthian Colleges came to an end Monday as the for-profit chain closed its doors for good -- but the political fallout for the Education Department remains.
U.S. government declines to identify dozens of institutions whose federal funding it has restricted because of concerns about their risk to students and taxpayers.
Mid-Continent University's closure last year left a messy situation for students -- and it was precipitated by financial sanctions the U.S. Department of Education uses to rein in colleges.
Budget details president's signature higher ed proposals -- free community college, Pell bonuses for colleges and expanded tax credits -- and some student aid reforms with bipartisan appeal.
The Education Department's ratings framework embraces the concept of adjusting outcomes for student demographics -- an approach that would be unusual for the federal government but that isn't without its critics.
A Congressional watchdog asserts that accrediting agencies have not been more likely to sanction colleges with poor student outcomes than they are higher-performing institutions -- though report's own data are mixed on that question.
