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PEER Project Releases New Research as Department of Education Launches Rulemaking Process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2022

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press@defendstudents.org

PEER Project Releases New Research as Department of Education Launches Rulemaking Process

As the U.S. Department of Education begins Negotiated Rulemaking on higher education issues, the Postsecondary Equity & Economics Research (PEER) Project has released five inaugural research papers and briefs designed to help policymakers protect student loan borrowers.

“Protecting students and promoting equity in higher education has never been more important — especially as we continue to deal with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Stephanie Cellini, PEER Project Director and Professor of Public Policy and Public Administration, and Economics, at George Washington University. “The Department of Education has to get these decisions right, and they can’t do that unless they have reliable evidence about what works. I hope this research will be helpful for negotiators and the Department as they proceed with rulemaking.”

The research papers and policy briefs include:

“The for-profit college industry has ramped up its recruitment in the wake of the pandemic,” said Student Defense’s Libby Webster. “If the Administration wants to prevent widespread consumer harm, they need to move quickly and make sound decisions. This research should help them do exactly that.”

Launched in 2021, the PEER Project is a joint initiative on higher ed accountability between academics at George Washington University and Columbia University and attorneys at the National Student Legal Defense Network. It brings together university economists and academics with higher education lawyers to identify and support research efforts aimed at promoting equity and accountability in higher education.