Make the proposed special rule for the Student Support Services
(SSS) program more consistent with the Administration's College
Completion Challenge Grant proposal by: (1) eliminating the
requirement that institutions of higher education participating under
the special rule be current SSS participants; and (2) ensuring that
institutions providing grants under the special rule also offer
intensive summer programs to first-year students at risk of dropping
out, at no cost to the students.
Make the proposed modifications to the requirement that students
repay certain grant funds when withdrawing from college more similar
to the Administration's proposal. In particular, the Administration
urges the addition of forgiveness for the first grant overpayment owed
by a student upon withdrawal from school, to significantly alleviate a
burden that currently falls disproportionately on the lowest income
students.
Eliminate a requirement for a minimum 45-day comment period on any
notice of proposed rulemaking for student aid programs that would be
stricter than requirements that apply to all other government agencies
under the Administrative Procedure Act. The Department of Education
generally provides comment periods on student aid regulations that are
longer than 45 days, but needs the flexibility to provide comment
periods that reflect the complexity of the regulations to be issued
and statutory and other time constraints affecting their production.
Include additional technical changes to the provision that
currently prohibits students from receiving aid if they are convicted
of drug offenses, in order to make the law more workable and more
understandable for students, while maintaining its policy objectives.
Delete the provision that attempts to eliminate the Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) requirement that a forbearance be in writing,
which would increase disputes over FFEL terms.
Eliminate provisions that would establish different procedures for
rehabilitating Federal Perkins Loans than those that apply to FFEL and
Direct Loans, thereby adding administrative complexity and inequity to
student loan programs.