Introducing AACRAO's newly selected Public Policy Advisory Group (PPAG) members.
The PPAG group provides an essential practitioner perspective on emerging higher education policy issues. In addition, it serves as an invaluable resource to AACRAO's Executive Director and Government Relations staff as they craft responses to proposed legislation and regulations.
Meet Our New PPAG Members:
Over the past year, the group helped direct AACRAO’s reaction to a wide range of policy initiatives impacting member institutions and students. In particular, PPAG members provided specific guidance on servicemember and veteran issues, including technical corrections to the recent Isakson Roe Act and extending certain COVID-related flexibilities for veterans' education benefits, 85/15 rule reporting updates, and Army IgnitED’s new platform rollout.
PPAG also helped guide AACRAO’s response to a flurry of state actions and federal legislative and regulatory proposals that aim to control the use of certain administrative holds, such as withholding transcripts for student debts. In addition, their input led to the association issuing a joint statement with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) on the use of administrative processes and student success-related holds and a standalone statement on transcript withholding. The statements provide specific guidance and best practices on the use of institutional holds, offering practical policy recommendations to ensure that such practices do not serve as a barrier to student success.
Most recently, PPAG members offered expert feedback on proposed updates to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), pushing for more inclusive data elements. The group highlighted issues with the U.S. Education Department’s proposal to direct institutions to report Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients under the category of "nonresident" and undocumented students without DACA as "race/ethnicity unknown." Further discussions included calls for the agency to incorporate nonbinary students into all categories of IPEDS to allow for a more comprehensive understanding of students across gender identities.
This year’s group will help the association form its response to the Biden administration’s forthcoming proposed rulemaking on institutional and programmatic eligibility—with topics such as gainful employment, 90/10 rule for for-profit institutions, and ability to benefit—and affordability and student loan regulations—covering borrower defense to repayment, income-based repayment programs, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and other issues.
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