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Agency: Department of EducationTitle: Institutional Quality Assurance at Education
Background Information
The Department of Education recently instituted the Institutional Quality Assurance (IQA) Program. The IQA Program involves 99 post secondary institutions nation-wide who administer Title IV Student Financial Assistance funds. The intent of the IQA Program is to give institutions who are performing well and have high quality standards exemptions from certain regulatory requirements. Anne Tuccillo said "We know that regulations are necessary, but many were designed as gate keeping measures to keep the bad actors out of the Title IV Programs. We feel that institutions who are quality performers should be rewarded not overburdened by excessive regulation. Inmost cases excessive regulation has a direct effect on the level of service the institution can provide to its customers - the students and their parents."
The Department of Education is currently trying to expand the IQA Program to involve 600 institutions across the country. The strategy is to recruit institutions that administer a large percentage of Federal Pell Grant moneys. This strategy is much more cost effective, because the Department can then focus its attention and resources on those institutions who do not comply, rather than place additional burden and oversight on those that are in compliance. Institutions who are providing quality services to students and who are performing well above what is minimally required will not have to jump through the same hoops as institutions who require close oversight. The IQA Program assists institutions in providing the best service possible to its customers, while maintaining accountability and proper stewardship of tax dollars through proven prevention-based and proactive quality assurance procedures.
Main NPR Category: Customer Service
Related NPR Categories: Cutting Red Tape
Contact Person: Anne B. Tuccillo Contact Phone: X
Washington, DC
Contact e-mail address: Anne_Tuccillo@ed.gov