AAU wrote to Sen. Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), in response to his white paper on higher education accountability. The paper provided an overview of current federal accountability requirements in higher education.
Mary Sue Coleman, president of AAU, said the organization agreed with the paper's overall goal of updating accountability measures to ensure that students are receiving an education "worth their time and money." She also offered comments and recommendations on specific components of the white paper:
- States, Accrediting Agencies, and the Federal Government
- Default Rates and Loan Repayment Rates
- The 90-10 Rule
- The Gainful Employment Rule.
"We hope Congress will adopt policies that lead to greater levels of access and student success, take strong steps to address fraud and abuse in student aid programs, and help ensure the integrity of federal student aid programs," Coleman wrote.