How the College Opportunity and Affordability Act Affects Online Students

What is the College Opportunity and Affordability Act ?:

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 renews the Higher Education Act originally passed in 1965. It also includes several pieces of legislation that will affect online students.

Most notably, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act requires online colleges receiving federal funds to ensure that the student enrolled in college is the person actually completing the coursework. Critics have speculated that this law will threaten student privacy.

The full text of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act is available online (off-site link).

Online Student Privacy (SEC. 496):

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act sets new requirements for accreditors seeking to evaluate online schools (and traditional schools offering online programs). An accreditor:

"requires an institution that offers distance education to have processes through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the program and receives the academic credit"

Critics complain that this rule will lead to excessive surveillance including the use of thumbprint readers and webcams.

Reduced Financial Aid for Online Students (SEC. 485):

Financial aid may be reduced for online learners due to the College Opportunity and Affordability Act.

"A student's eligibility to receive grants, loans, or work assistance under this title shall be reduced if a financial aid officer determines under the discretionary authority provided in section 479A that distance education results in a substantially reduced cost of attendance to such student."

Some online learners pay less in tuition, but greater savings are often attained by not having to commute or pay for on campus housing. The new rule may negate these benefits.

Online College Reporting (SEC. 490) Removed:

Before the bill's passage, section 490 was removed. This section would have required schools to report data to federal authorities.

"The institution will submit to the Secretary annually...data on

the number and percentage of students taking classes in whole or in part on-line or through distance education; ...the number and percentage of those taking their classes exclusively on-line or through distance education...

the number and percentage of courses offered by the institution that are offered on-line or through distance education."

Because the section was deleted, schools will not need to report this data.

College Opportunity and Affordability Act Updates:

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act was passed by Congress on July 31, 2008.

It became law after receiving the president's signature on August 14, 2008.