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This Web page provides the public with background information regarding the Department’s negotiated rulemaking effort to make changes to the regulations for the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 in 2017.
For more information about negotiated rulemaking in general, please see our question and answer page.
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Meetings
All sessions will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.
Committee meetings are open to the public.
Borrower Defenses and Financial Responsibility
Session 1: November 13-15, 2017
The Holiday Inn Washington Capitol
550 C Street, SW
Congressional II Room
Washington, DC 20024
Session 2: January 8-11, 2018
The U.S. Department of Education
Union Center Plaza (UCP) Learning Center
830 First Street NE., Lobby Level
Washington, DC 20002
Session 3: February 12-15, 2018
The U.S. Department of Education
Barnard Auditorium
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202
Session 1: December 4-7, 2017
The U.S. Department of Education
Union Center Plaza (UCP) Learning Center
830 First Street, NE, Lobby Level
Washington, DC 20002
Session 2: February 5-8, 2018
The U.S. Department of Education
Barnard Auditorium
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202
Session 3: March 12-15, 2018
The U.S. Department of Education
Potomac Center Plaza Auditorium
550 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Federal Register Notices by Date
- Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Public Hearings
On June 16, 2017, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register announcing our intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare proposed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This notice announced two public hearings at which interested parties may comment on the topics suggested by the Department in the notice, and suggest additional topics for consideration for action by the negotiated rulemaking committee.
Written comments submitted in response to this notice may be viewed through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Instructions for finding comments are available on the site under "How to Use Regulations.gov" in the Help section. Individuals can locate the appropriate docket for the notice by entering Docket ID ED-2017-OPE-0076 in the search box. Public Hearings Information- July 10, 2017--U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C., Barnard Auditorium, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., Washington, D.C. 20202.
- July 12, 2017—Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, Underwood Law Library-Walsh Classroom, 6550 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, TX 75275.
- Parking spaces for the hearing will be available in the Daniel Parking Structure located across the street from the Dedman School of Law.
- Campus Parking Map PDF (594KB)
- How to take public transportation to SMU MS Word (34KB)
- SMU’s Maps and Directions page
- List of Presenters MS Word (16KB)
- Hearing Transrcipt MS Word (1.97MB)
The public hearings will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time.
- Request for negotiator nominations
On August 30, 2017, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register requesting nominations for negotiators to serve on two negotiated rulemaking committees that will address 1) gainful employment issues; and 2) borrower defenses to repayment of Federal student loans and other matters, the authority of guaranty agencies in the Federal Family Education Loan Program to charge collection costs to a defaulted borrower who enters into a repayment agreement with the guaranty agency, and limited financial responsibility issues, which will be addressed by a subcommittee. In addition, the notice requested nominations for individuals with pertinent expertise to participate on the financial responsibility subcommittee.
Information on how to submit a nomination is provided in the Federal Register notice. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, September 29, 2017.
