The Eligibility and Certification Approval Report (ECAR) outlines a school’s eligibility status for participation in the Title IV federal student aid programs and specifies which educational programs at the school qualify for federal student aid. We have observed that many schools are adding educational programs to their ECAR in preparation for earnings accountability reporting, as required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. In some cases, schools are adding programs that they are not currently required to add under the regulations, including eligible non-Gainful Employment (GE) programs such as degree programs at public and non-profit institutions.
We request that schools refrain from making such additions unless specifically required by law or regulation, by their Program Participation Agreement (PPA), or unless the U.S. Department of Education (ED) specifically requests it.
ED will use school-certified data from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) enrollment reporting process to identify programs by their unique Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes and credential levels to support our implementation of the OBBBA. This proactive strategy is designed to reduce administrative workload for schools. We do not expect to require schools to add eligible non-GE programs to their ECARs.
We will provide additional information regarding the process and timeline for program identification at a later date. Please monitor the Knowledge Center for updates.
Note: For policy-related questions about earnings accountability, refer to the May 20, 2026, Electronic Announcement for information about FAQs and an email tool (ob3schoolquestions@ed.gov).
For questions about the ECAR or other general school eligibility inquiries, please contact the School Participation Section at CaseTeams@ed.gov.