Helping Students Through Transparent College Oversight

By releasing its list of colleges under heightened cash monitoring, the Department of Education is bringing transparency to its oversight of troubled institutions.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

On March 31, the U.S. Department of Education released for the first time a list of postsecondary institutions that are subject to oversight because of concerns related to their administrative management or financial position. This distinction—called heightened cash monitoring—exists to ensure that federal student aid funds have proper oversight. Making this information public will increase “transparency and accountability” across America’s higher-education system. It will also help students, families, and consumer advocates evaluate whether an institution has a reasonable chance of serving students well and fostering academic success.

The U.S. Department of Education’s list provided much-needed transparency by revealing the institutions that are subject to heightened cash monitoring. An important question remains, however: What do we know about student enrollment at institutions in need of additional oversight?

For more on this idea, please see:

Transparent Oversight of Troubled Colleges Can Help Students Make Informed Choices by Elizabeth Baylor

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