Proprietary institutions are receiving FY23 audit citation letters from the Department of Education alleging that their audits were submitted late. In many of these cases, the institutions followed ED’s own guidance during the 2024 eZ-Audit transition — submitted through COD when eZ-Audit was unavailable, then resubmitted through eZ-Audit when the...
Recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) brings both relief and important clarification for institutions navigating financial responsibility requirements and the 90/10 rule. While some regulatory pressure has eased, the updates introduce new considerations that institutions should evaluate carefully. This article breaks down what has changed, what it means...
On May 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Technology Security Alert (GENERAL-26-27) regarding an active cybersecurity incident involving Instructure Holdings, Inc., the parent company of the Canvas Learning Management System. The breach, claimed by ransomware group ShinyHunters, exposed usernames, email addresses, course names, enrollment data, and messages...
A known bug — not the new fraud screening — is behind a wave of unexpected ISIR rejections. Here’s what’s happening and what to do about it. Background On April 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education launched a new real-time identity fraud detection capability within the FAFSA, marking one of the...
On December 8, 2025, the Department of Education published an Electronic Announcement stating that, effective December 7, a low earnings indicator will be implemented on the 2026/2027 FAFSA. This indicator will appear on a first-year undergraduate student’s FAFSA Submission Summary for any institution they select to receive their FAFSA data...
The Department of Education’s RISE Committee concluded its second and final week of negotiations on November 7, reaching full consensus on all proposed regulatory concepts. With consensus achieved, the Department will now draft regulatory text reflecting these agreed-upon positions. While the formal language has not yet been released, the Week...
As the calendar year comes to a close, many institutions are conducting annual performance evaluations, reviewing compensation structures, and planning staffing adjustments for the year ahead. This makes it an ideal time to revisit one of the most closely scrutinized areas of Title IV compliance: the ban on incentive compensation. Institutions...
Whether the Mergers & Acquisitions market is hot or cautious, one truth remains constant: student accounts receivable (A/R) can quietly make—or break—a school acquisition. Unwritten write-offs inflate EBITDA and net working capital, anchoring sellers to higher valuations. Once diligence reveals the real collectability picture, the resulting price reset can be...