Department of Education Releases Guidance to IHEs on Interrupted Study Due to COVID-19
AACTE Responds to COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) released guidance on March 5 and followed up with additional outreach on March 11, 2020 to ensure that institutions of higher education (IHE) are aware of options for various interrupted study due to COVID-19, including what the Department refers to as “student teaching.” This is particularly important for compliance with Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The guidance covers five scenarios including the following:
“A student was enrolled in a program and met the requirements for full-time enrollment; however, due to the COVID-19, one or more classes—such as an internship, a clinical rotation, student teaching or fieldwork—have been cancelled and now the student has fallen below the 12 credit hour minimum and is no longer considered to be a full-time student …”
Please review the guidance offered and work with your institution’s leadership, including the financial aid office moving forward. Specific situations leading to additional questions should be directed to COVID-19@ed.gov.
Other resources
U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 Resources
CDC Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Institutions of Higher Education
CDC Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Fact Sheet
Tags: clinical preparation, federal issues, higher education
