The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education announced plans to begin negotiated rulemaking on programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Department seeks feedback on how to streamline regulations and federal assistance programs, aiming to create efficiencies for students, institutions, and stakeholders. The public is also invited to share ideas on improving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and repayment plans like Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR).
"This process will focus on how the Department can rightsize Title IV regulations that have driven up the cost of college and hindered innovation," said Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron. "Not only will this rulemaking serve as an opportunity to identify and cut unnecessary red tape, but it will allow key stakeholders to offer suggestions to streamline and improve federal student aid programs."
The Higher Education Act mandates that the Secretary gather public input before proposing regulations under Title IV. After receiving advice and recommendations, the Secretary conducts negotiated rulemaking to develop the proposed regulations.
The Department will hold two public hearings to gather input: an in-person meeting on April 29, 2025, and a virtual hearing on May 1, 2025. Written comments can be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov. For assistance, contact regulationshelpdesk@gsa.gov or call 1-866-498-2945. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
More information is available here.
