Distance Education and Title IV of the Higher Education Act: Policy, Practice, and Reauthorization

Publication Date: January 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

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Abstract:

The phrase "distance education" (DE) has been used to describe a wide variety of structured learning environments that occur away from the "traditional" bricks and mortar classroom setting. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) identifies five different DE delivery modes: correspondence study, interactive videoconferencing, telecourses, asynchronous online instruction, and synchronous online instruction. Based on an ED survey, 56% of institutions of higher education (IHEs) offered DE courses in 2000-2001, in which over 3 million students were enrolled.

To participate in federal student aid (FSA) programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), institutions must meet eligibility requirements known collectively as the 50% rules. According to the rules, if telecommunications courses and correspondence courses constitute at least half of the total courses offered at an IHE, then telecommunications courses are considered to be correspondence courses; and if more than 50% of an IHE's courses are correspondence courses, or if 50% or more of an IHE's students are enrolled in correspondence courses, the IHE loses its Title IV eligibility. Students' eligibility for FSA also depends on their own DE coursetaking.

The Distance Education Demonstration Project (DEDP) waives certain eligibility requirements for about two dozen IHEs in order to "test the quality and viability" of DE programs (P.L. 105-244). An ED report on the DEDP concluded that these restrictions should be loosened and that this would have few negative consequences. A GAO study of the impact of the 50% rules concluded that doing so without management accountability would probably increase occurrences of fraud and abuse. GAO recommended that ED study the cost of waiving the 50% rules.

To be eligible for Title IV programs, IHEs must be accredited by an agency or association recognized by ED as a reliable authority for assessing the quality of education. There are several special challenges associated with evaluating and accrediting DE programs and courses. DE courses and programs are offered through different modes of instruction, requiring accreditors to evaluate the curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student support, and student learning outcomes of these programs in different ways. DE programs and courses are offered by a variety of providers, ranging from traditional four-year institutions to online degree-granting institutions to corporate universities. DE is also used for short-term continuing education and training in professional fields, often separate from degree programs.

Due to the substantial changes in the availability of technology and demand for DE courses since the 1998 reauthorization of the HEA, there are numerous issues that may be discussed during the upcoming reauthorization. These include whether to reauthorize the DEDP; whether to change the 50% rules used in determining the eligibility of IHEs to participate in programs authorized under Title IV of the HEA; and whether to change the requirements for federal recognition of accrediting organizations that are applicable to DE. This report will be updated.