“It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, [and] demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.” – President Joe Biden, State of the Union, March 1, 2022...more
On Thursday, May 19, 2022, the five Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioners unanimously approved a Policy Statement on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). President Joe Biden issued a statement of...more
As we previously reported, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) warned that, without legislative action, students and veterans could see reductions or disruptions to their educational assistance benefits under the...more
As the nation seeks to respond and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been widespread changes in the regulatory environment, particularly in the education sector. ...more
On March 12, 2020, the US Department of Education (ED) released FAQ guidance for all schools subject to the student privacy requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) related to implementing plans...more
As schools across the country respond to unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19, students and veterans who rely on the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s educational assistance could see those benefits reduced or paused without...more
Recently, the en banc Federal Circuit held that a determination by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on whether a petitioner is time-barred from challenging a patent in an inter partes review (IPR) is judicially...more
Update: On August 2, 2017, the US Senate unanimously passed the Forever GI Bill. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law in the near term. (August 3, 2017) -
In a rare moment of bipartisanship, on Monday,...more
In a rare moment of bipartisanship, on Monday, July 24, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, colloquially deemed the “Forever GI...more
Today begins the first ever London Edtech Week with 20+ events June 19-23 and will coincide with the fifth annual EdTechXEurope conference June 20 and 21. Through a series of meet-ups, product demonstrations, cocktail events,...more
The second post in the series on common legal and regulatory pitfalls that alternative education providers must proactively avoid focuses on data privacy and security. Learn more about student data privacy and best practices...more
The US Department of Defense (DoD) plans to retain the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct Institutional Compliance Program (ICP) audits of schools participating in DoD’s Tuition Assistance...more
Last week I was in Austin, Texas attending one of the largest gatherings of education innovators in the world, the SXSWedu Conference and Festival. After some time thinking about all of the great discussions I had, I want to...more
After several rounds of public comment and revisions, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education ("BPPE" or "Bureau") has issued final regulations significantly expanding the data reporting and disclosure requirements...more
On Monday, July 25, the US Department of Education (ED or the Department) formally released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend its current state authorization regulations, particularly with respect to distance...more
Last week, the Department of Education (ED or the Department) submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed new or amended state authorization regulations. The proposed regulations relate to state...more
Last week, Common Sense Media ("CSM") announced that it is undertaking an ambitious initiative to evaluate and grade the student data privacy practices of EdTech companies that provide products, apps, or services for use in...more
In a recent trend, student debt relief scammers are engaging in aggressive marketing tactics by placing advertisements that target student loan borrowers from a specific institution of higher education. These advertisements...more
Last week Europe's highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) declared invalid a "Safe Harbor" framework whereby personal data could be easily transferred between many European countries and the US. The...more
10/22/2015
/ Colleges ,
Data Protection Authority ,
Educational Institutions ,
EU ,
EU Data Protection Laws ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
European Economic Area (EEA) ,
International Data Transfers ,
Safe Harbors ,
Student Privacy ,
Universities ,
US-EU Safe Harbor Framework
While Congress continues to consider (but not act on) nationwide student data privacy initiatives, the states continued to lead the charge in 2015. Earlier this year, we reported that, in 2014, 36 states introduced 110...more
Governor Jerry Brown has now signed into law Senate Bill 81, which included language amending the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 (the "Act") to permit "independent institutions of higher education"...more
7/10/2015
/ Accreditation ,
Commerce Clause ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Exempt Organizations ,
Financial Aid ,
Governor Brown ,
Jerry Brown ,
Nonprofits ,
Students ,
Title IV
On Friday, June 19, 2015, the US Department of Education ("ED" or "the Department") issued a Dear Colleague Letter (GEN-15-10) ("DCL") reminding institutions that the current state authorization requirements (34 CFR § 600.9)...more
The US Department of Education ("ED" or "the Department") has decided against an earlier plan to send letters to every institution believed to be out-of-compliance (or rather, located in a state that is considered...more
6/11/2015
/ Colleges ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Department of Education ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Exemptions ,
Federal Student Aid ,
Financial Aid ,
Nonprofits ,
Private Schools ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Students ,
Title IV ,
Universities
Student privacy has become a focal point in the education sector. While media attention has largely focused on activities in Washington, we believe it is also critical for schools and Ed Tech companies to pay closer attention...more
In January 2015, the US Department of Education has issued an advisory to all elementary and secondary schools on data privacy and security issues to be considered in negotiating agreements with online service providers or...more