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Regulation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Regulation [Abstract]  
Regulation
10. Regulation

 

The Department of Education (the "Department") previously attempted to define “an eligible program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.” After a federal court invalidated the Department’s regulation (except for the disclosure requirements), the Department established a negotiated rulemaking committee to again consider the issue of gainful employment, but the Committee did not achieve the required consensus. On March 25, 2014, the Department issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for public comment, and on October 31, 2014, the Department published the final regulation. The Company continues to review the recently released regulation, and at this time is unable to determine what impact, if any, the final regulation will have on its financial condition or results of operations.

 

Strayer University must comply with the campus safety and security reporting requirements as well as other requirements in the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, including recent changes made to the Clery Act by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, which was signed into law on March 7, 2013. On April 1, 2014, a negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on proposed regulations, and on October 17, 2014, the Department of Education promulgated regulations implementing the recent amendments to the Clery Act. Failure to comply with Clery Act requirements or regulations thereunder could result in action by the Department of Education to fine the Company or to limit or suspend its participation in Title IV programs.

 

Strayer University is subject to announced and unannounced compliance reviews and audits by various external agencies, including the Department of Education, its Office of Inspector General, state licensing agencies, and accrediting agencies. The Department of Education conducted four campus-based program reviews of Strayer University campuses in three states and the District of Columbia, with one on-site review conducted August 18-20, 2014; one on-site review conducted September 8-11, 2014; and two on-site reviews conducted September 22-26, 2014. The reviews covered federal financial aid years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, and two of the reviews also covered compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, and regulations related thereto. On October 21, 2014, the Department issued an Expedited Final Program Review Determination Letter for one of the program reviews conducted the week of September 22, 2014, closing the program review with no further action required by the Company. While the on-site portions of the other three program reviews have concluded, Strayer University has yet to receive determination letters from these reviews.

 

Each institution participating in Title IV programs must enter into a Program Participation Agreement with the Department of Education. Under the agreement, the institution agrees to follow the Department of Education’s rules and regulations governing Title IV programs. On October 1, 2014, Strayer University received an executed provisional Program Participation Agreement from the Department of Education allowing it to participate in Title IV programs until June 30, 2017. The Program Participation Agreement was issued on a provisional basis because of the Department of Education’s open program reviews. Under the provisional agreement, the only material additional condition that the University must comply with is obtaining Department of Education approval for substantial changes, including the addition of any new location, level of academic offering, non-degree program, or degree program.