“Gainful Employment” — What Does It Mean?

The Obama Administration’s “gainful employment” regulations are among the most contentious federal education regulations. Ever. For the last nine (!) years, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been trying to define the term, and definition may determine whether a school is eligible to receive federal student aid for its programs under the Higher Education Act (HEA).

This week, ED will continue with the latest effort to define the term—and this push is likely to be the final and definitive one.