Smucker Leads Letter Asking Department of Education for Extended Deadline on Implementation of “Clock Hour Rule”

Washington—Rep. Lloyd Smucker is leading a bipartisan group of Members of Congress in asking the Department of Education to extend a department-imposed deadline for community colleges, career colleges, and adult-education programs to comply with a burdensome new regulation advanced by the Biden administration. The regulation departs from historical practice and makes programs that extend beyond their state’s minimum number of hours ineligible to receive federal financial aid, limiting students’ access to proven successful career pathways.

The Members write:

            “Career-oriented programs are preparing students for success in careers that meet the

demands of our modern workforce. Institutions that offer education and career preparation for students should be given a longer runway when preparing to comply with the Department’s October 2023 rule that revoked the prevailing clock hour rule. We urge the Department to extend the deadline until July 1, 2025, in order to ensure that students participating in these programs continue to have access to education that will launch them into a successful career.”

Read the lawmakers’ full letter.

Background:

A regulation published by the Department of Education will impact students enrolled in career-oriented “clock hour programs” which measures students’ progress by time spent studying a subject matter, rather than the credit-based system traditional colleges use. The regulations will prevent students attending certain career and technical education schools from accessing federal financial aid.

Each state establishes their own licensure requirements and minimum number of clock hours for programs like cosmetology, massage therapy, barbering, nursing and allied health, trucking, and others before students can apply for their state’s license. Many programs offer students coursework beyond the minimum clock hours to ensure they are prepared to pass exams, and have learned the newest techniques, and technology in their respective fields. Previously, the Department of Education would allow certain programs to go above 150 percent of the minimum clock hours and still be eligible for federal student financial aid.

A recently finalized rule from the Department of Education would eliminate that 150 percent practice, making students across the country ineligible to receive federal financial aid for these critical workforce development programs. This means that schools will have to redesign and recertify their programs, which is a very time-consuming process, or students will have to pay in cash or private loans for the entire program.

This letter builds on Rep. Smucker’s advocacy for students attending these programs. Last month, Rep. Smucker questioned Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about the implementation of this regulation. Rep. Smucker also previously introduced the Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act.

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