Summary: Notice of Negotiated Rulemaking

Publication Date: October 19, 2007

Author: David Bergeron, Office of Postsecondary Education

Summary: Notice of Negotiated Rulemaking

Posted on 10-19-2007

Within the next few days we will publish in the Federal Register a notice announcing our intention to establish one or two negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare proposed regulations for the student assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). The number of committees and their organization will be based upon the comments received as a result of the notice. If one negotiating committee is established, it will address all of the regulatory issues that we identify. If two negotiating committees are established, one will address changes made by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (CCRAA), Pub. L. 110-84 to the Federal student loan programs authorized by Title IV of the HEA, as well as other loan related issues. The other will focus on the new TEACH Grant Program which was added to Title IV of the HEA by the CCRAA, other CCRAA required issues and/or selected other issues.

The notice will also announce three regional hearings where interested parties can suggest issues that should be considered for action by the negotiating committees. These hearings will be held on:

November 2, 2007, at the Sheraton New Orleans,
500 Canal Street, in New Orleans, Louisiana;

November 16, 2007, at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC; and

November 29, 2007, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego,

One Market Place, San Diego, California.

The regional hearings in New Orleans and San Diego will be held from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., local time. The hearing in Washington, DC will be held from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., local time.

Finally, the notice will request nominations for individual negotiators who represent key stakeholder constituencies that are involved in the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the HEA to serve on these committees. The deadline date for receiving nominations for negotiators to serve on the negotiating committees is November 9, 2006. Detailed information on the submission of comments and nominations will be included in the Federal Register notice, that will be posted to our IFAP website as soon as it is published.