U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S FY 2019 ANNUAL PLAN INCLUDES INCREASED SCRUTINY OF ONLINE LEARNING

Although the current administration in Washington continues to enthusiastically embrace online learning, in 2019, online learning may face heightened scrutiny. In late November, the U.S. Department of Education released its FY 2019 Annual Plan. Over the coming year, the Department of Education promises to take a closer look at the activities of online program management providers and virtual schools.U.S. colleges and universities increasingly rely on online program management providers. These are companies like 2U that help colleges and universities develop and deliver online courses and programs. As stated in the FY 2019 Annual Plan, in 2019, the U.S. Department of Education hopes to investigate three key issues raised by online program management providers:The heightened scrutiny of online program management providers is not necessarily driven by concerns about the quality of the educational experiences these providers offer. Ultimately, it is about ensuring federal funds are being properly dispersed. As stated in the Department of Education’s 2019 plan, “Effective oversight and monitoring of participants is necessary to ensure that funds are disbursed for only eligible students and to effectively manage the performance of the Federal student loan portfolio. Within this area, our planned audit work includes schools’ use of online program management providers.”