PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 21

Goal 1. Postsecondary Education, Career and Technical Education, 

and Adult Education: 

Increase college access, affordability, quality, and completion by 

improving postsecondary education and lifelong learning 

opportunities for youths and adults. 

Goal Leader: Ted Mitchell

Objective 1.1: Access and Affordability. Close the opportunity gap by improving the 

affordability of and access to college and/or workforce training, especially for underrepresented 

and/or underprepared populations (e.g., low-income and first-generation students, English 

learners, individuals with disabilities, adults without high school diplomas, etc.). Objective 

Leaders: Jon O’Bergh, Jim Runcie, and Michael Yudin 

Metric 1.1.A: Rate of increase in net price of public four-year institutions8

 

Metric 1.1.B: Rate of increase in net price of public two-year institutions9

Metric 1.1.C: Percentage of high school seniors filing a Free Application for Federal 

Student Aid (FAFSA) 

Metric 1.1.D: Index of national annual aggregate earnings of Vocation Rehabilitation 

(VR) consumers (based on the number of competitive integrated employment outcomes, 

hours worked, and hourly wages of VR consumers) 

Metric 1.1.E: Index of national annual aggregate earnings of Transition-Age Youth 

(based on the number of competitive integrated employment outcomes, hours worked, 

and hourly wages of VR Transition-Age Youth) 

Objective 1.2: Quality. Foster institutional value to ensure that postsecondary education 

credentials represent effective preparation for students to succeed in the workforce and 

participate in civic life. Objective Leader: Jon O’Bergh 

Metric 1.2.A: Number of low-performing institutions with high loan default rates and low 

graduation rates10

Objective 1.3: Completion. Increase degree and certificate completion and job placement in 

high-need and high-skill areas, particularly among underrepresented and/or underprepared 

populations. Objective Leader: Jon O’Bergh 

Metric 1.3.A: Degree attainment among 25–34-year-old age cohort 

Metric 1.3.B: Retention rate of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates: Full-time11

 

8 Metric is being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal 

and addition of metrics. 

9 Metric is being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal 

and addition of metrics. 

10 Metric is being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the 

removal and addition of metrics. 

11 Metric is being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the 

removal and addition of metrics. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 22

Metric 1.3.C: Retention rate of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates: Part-time12

Objective 1.4: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways.

Increase STEM pathway opportunities that enable access to and completion of postsecondary 

programs. Objective Leader: Russ Shilling

Metric 1.4.A: Number of STEM postsecondary credentials awarded 

Goal 1 Discretionary Resources

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

$29,632

$29,867

$30,148

(Dollars in millions)

Major Discretionary Programs and Activities13 Supporting Goal 1 Performance Metrics 

[Dollars in Millions]

POC Account Obj. Program

FY 2015 

Appropriation

FY 2016 

Appropriation

FY 2017 

President’s 

Budget

FSA SAA Student Aid Administration: Salaries and expenses 675 697 732

FSA SAA Student Aid Administration: Servicing Activities 722 855 900

FSA SFA 1.1 Federal Pell grants: Discretionary 22,475 22,475 22,475

OCTAE CTAE 1.1, 

1.2, 1.3 Adult basic and literacy education state grants 569 582 582

OCTAE CTAE NA Career and technical education state grants 1,118 1,118 1,193

OPE HE 1.1, 1.3 Federal TRIO programs 840 900 900

OPE HE First in the World 60 0 100

OPE HE 

HBCU and minority-serving institutions (MSI) 

innovation for completion fund (proposed) 0 0 30

Subtotal 26,459 26,627 26,912

Other Discretionary Programs/Activities 3,174 3,241 3,236

TOTAL, GOAL 1 29,632 29,867 30,148

POC = Principal Office Component 

NA = Not applicable. 

NOTES: Many programs may have sub-activities that relate to other goals. Detail may not add to total due to rounding. 

 

12 Metric is being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the 

removal and addition of metrics. 

13 All the programs listed are discretionary programs, as distinct from mandatory programs. These include both competitive and 

noncompetitive programs. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 23

Public Benefit

Increasing college access, affordability, quality, and completion by improving postsecondary 

education and lifelong learning opportunities for youths and adults requires attention to three 

equally important factors to facilitate success: availability of good consumer information and 

financial aid, strong motivation by students and families, and access to affordable, high-quality 

learning opportunities. 

Prior to entering postsecondary education, prospective students need easily accessible 

information on the cost of attendance and financial aid; rates for career placement, graduation, 

and college loan defaults; labor market outcomes and projections of labor market demand; loan 

repayment and management options; and other subjects crucial to understanding the 

affordability and value of the postsecondary institutions and programs of study available. 

Students deserve to know that, whether they enter a college, university, career training 

program, or adult education program, the credential they earn will be affordable and its value 

will be recognized as an indication that they possess the necessary knowledge and skills for 

success in the workplace and in life. 

Providing federal student aid in a simple, reliable, and efficient manner is primarily how the 

Department supports college access, affordability, quality, and completion. In FY 2015, the 

Department delivered nearly $128 billion in grants, work-study, and loan assistance to almost 

12 million postsecondary students at over 6,100 schools.14 In addition, the Department 

administered $2 billion annually in grants to strengthen postsecondary institutions and promote 

college readiness, and nearly $1.7 billion more in grant funds for career and technical education 

(CTE), adult education (including literacy and civics education), and correctional education to 

help youths and adults secure the skills that equip them for work, civic participation, and lifelong 

learning.15

The Department has taken significant steps to increase college access, affordability, quality, 

and completion in recent years. Resources developed by the Department, such as the College 

Affordability and Transparency Center, the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, the College 

Scorecard, a consolidated student aid website, and new loan counseling and financial literacy 

resources, now provide students and families with new and enhanced tools for informed 

decision-making. In particular, the release in FY 2015 of a vastly expanded College 

Scorecard—including many important metrics that have not been published before—has set a 

new standard for consumer information about postsecondary education. Redesigned with direct 

input from students, families, and their advisers, the College Scorecard provides the clearest, 

most accessible, and most reliable national data on cost, graduation, debt, and postcollege 

earnings. Gainful Employment regulations will also ensure that students are informed about key 

outcomes for occupational-oriented programs before they enroll and that programs not meeting 

established standards will lose eligibility for access to federal student aid funds. In addition, the 

Department continues to simplify the FAFSA so it is easier and faster for students to apply for 

aid, and has improved the process. Beginning with the 2017–18 award year, students can apply 

earlier and electronically retrieve tax information filed for an earlier year, rather than waiting until 

tax season to complete their applications. Learning about aid eligibility options much earlier in 

the college application and decision process will allow students and families to determine the 

true cost of attending college—taking available financial aid into account—and make more 

informed decisions. New and expanded repayment plans, including Pay As You Earn (PAYE) 

 

14 Federal Student Aid Annual Report FY 2015.

15 Note that CTE formula funds go to both secondary and postsecondary programs; approximately 40% of the amount listed goes to 

postsecondary programs. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 24

and Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), make debt more affordable for students after they 

leave school. America’s College Promise, the President’s proposed new federal-state 

partnership to to make two years of community college free for responsible students, would 

significantly impact affordability by letting students earn the first half of a bachelor’s degree 

and earn skills needed in the workforce at no cost. This proposal will require everyone to do 

their part: community colleges must strengthen their programs and increase the number of 

students who graduate, states must invest more in higher education and training, and 

students must take responsibility for their education, earn good grades, and stay on track to 

graduate. The Department will build on these efforts to ensure that all Americans, regardless of 

their financial circumstances, will have the opportunity to access and complete an affordable 

postsecondary degree or other postsecondary credential.
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 25

Goal 1: Details

U.S. Department 

of Education 

Indicators of 

Success

Baseline

Actuals Current Year 

Target Current 

Year 

Results

Actual-to-Target 

2015 Out-Year Targets Trend Line

(Actuals)

2013 2014 2015 2015

Missed Exceeded

2016 2017

1.1.A. Rate of 

increase in net 

price of public fouryear institutions16

AY: 2010–11

1.7%

AY: 2010–11

1.7%

AY:

2011–12

3.1%

AY:

2012–13

0.6%

AY: 2012–13

1.3% MET

1.3%

0.6%

0.0%

0.2%

0.4%

0.6%

0.8%

1.0%

1.2%

1.4%

1.1.A

NA NA

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

2013 2014 2015

New Metric: 

Federal student 

loan delinquency 

rate

FY: 2015

21.7% NA FY: 201424.0%

FY: 2015

21.7% NA NA

+/- 3–5% 

over prior 

year’s 

actuals

+/- 3–5% 

over prior 

year’s 

actuals

1.1.B. Rate of 

increase in net 

price of public twoyear institutions17

AY: 2010–11

1.7%

AY: 2010–11

1.7%

AY: 

2011–12

3.2%

AY: 

2012–13

0.1%

AY: 2012–13

1.3% MET

1.3%

0.1%

0.0%

0.2%

0.4%

0.6%

0.8%

1.0%

1.2%

1.4%

1.1.B

NA NA

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

2013 2014 2015

 

16 Metric being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period and being replaced with the metric identified as “New Metric” directly below it. If there is no corresponding “New 

Metric” identified, new metric TBD. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal and addition of metrics. The proposed FY 2016 and 2017 targets for the metric being 

removed were 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively. 

17 Metric being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period and being replaced with the metric identified as “New Metric” directly below it. If there is no corresponding “New 

Metric” identified, new metric TBD. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal and addition of metrics. The proposed FY 2016 and 2017 targets for the metric being 

removed were 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 26

U.S. Department 

of Education 

Indicators of 

Success

Baseline

Actuals Current Year 

Target Current 

Year 

Results

Actual-to-Target 

2015 Out-Year Targets Trend Line

(Actuals)

2013 2014 2015 2015

Missed Exceeded

2016 2017

New Metric: Web 

traffic to the 

College Scorecard

(as measured by 

unique visitors 

annually)

FY: 2015 

91,011

(Excluding 

new 

Scorecard 

launch on 

Sept. 12, 

2015)

NA NA 91,011 NA NA 1,500,000 1,800,000

New APG Metric: 

Number of data 

points or other 

information reports

released on the 

FSA Data Center18

FY: 2009–14

12 NA NA 12 NA NA 15 30

1.1.C. Percentage 

of high school 

seniors filing a 

FAFSA

SY: 2012–13

59.2%

SY: 2012–13

59.2%

SY: 

2013–14

60.1%

SY: 

2014–15

60.5%

SY 2014–15 

59.1%–

61.1%

MET

59.1%

60.5%

50.0%

51.0%

52.0%

53.0%

54.0%

55.0%

56.0%

57.0%

58.0%

59.0%

60.0%

61.0%

1.1.C

+/- one 

percentage 

point of prior 

year’s

actuals

+/- one 

percentage 

point of prior 

year’s

actuals

55.5%

57.5%

59.5%

61.5%

2013 2014 2015

1.1.D. Index of 

national aggregate 

annual earnings of 

VR consumers 

(based on the 

number of 

competitive 

integrated 

employment 

outcomes, hours 

worked, and hourly 

wages of VR 

consumers)

FY: 

2010

$57,971,317

$61,824,728 $61,800,2

1419

TBD

Data 

available Q1 

FY16

$64,322,447 TBD TBD $65,608,896 $66,921,074

61,500,000

61,600,000

61,700,000

61,800,000

61,900,000

2013 2014

 

18 Metric is aligned with an APG. 

19 Metric reported as TBD in the 2014 APR. 2014 actuals show the 2014 target was “Not Met.”
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 27

U.S. Department 

of Education 

Indicators of 

Success

Baseline

Actuals Current Year 

Target Current 

Year 

Results

Actual-to-Target 

2015 Out-Year Targets Trend Line

(Actuals)

2013 2014 2015 2015

Missed Exceeded

2016 2017

1.1.E. Index of 

national aggregate 

annual earnings of 

Transition-Age 

Youth (based on 

the number of 

competitive 

integrated 

employment 

outcomes, hours 

worked, and hourly 

wages of VR 

Transition-Age 

Youth)

FY:

2010

$15,971,665

$18,353,441 $18,540,5

7620

TBD

Data 

available Q1 

FY16

$19,094,920 TBD TBD $19,476,818 $19,866,354

17,500,000

17,700,000

17,900,000

18,100,000

18,300,000

18,500,000

18,700,000

2013 2014

1.2.A. Number of 

low-performing 

institutions with 

high loan default 

rates and low 

graduation rates21

AY: 2010–11

205

AY: 2010–11

205

AY: 

2011–12

91

AY: 

2012–13

55

AY: 2012–13 

155 MET

155

55

0

50

100

150

200

1.2.A

NA NA

0

50

100

150

200

250

2013 2014 2015

New Metric: Pell 

enrollment at IHEs 

with high 

graduation rates22

AY: 2013–14

24.1% NA NA

AY:

2013–14

24.1%

NA NA AY 2014–15

25.0%

AY 2015–16

26.0%

New Metric: 

Number of states 

that develop or 

strengthen career 

pathways policies, 

guidance, or 

legislation

FY: 2015 

8

NA NA 8 NA NA 10 37

 

20 Metric reported as TBD in the 2014 APR. 2014 actuals show the 2014 target was “Not Met.”

21 Metric being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period and being replaced with the metric identified as “New Metric” directly below it. If there is no corresponding “New 

Metric” identified, new metric TBD. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal and addition of metrics. The proposed FY 2016 and 2017 targets for the metric being 

removed were 135 and 117, respectively. 

22 “High graduation rate” is defined as 65% or higher, which is roughly the 75th percentile. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 28

U.S. Department 

of Education 

Indicators of 

Success

Baseline

Actuals Current Year 

Target Current 

Year 

Results

Actual-to-Target 

2015 Out-Year Targets Trend Line

(Actuals)

2013 2014 2015 2015

Missed Exceeded

2016 2017

1.3.A. Degree 

attainment among 

25–34-year-old 

age cohort23

Current 

Population 

Survey 

(CPS) Year: 

2012

44.0%

CPS Year: 

2012

44.0%

CPS 

Year: 

2013

44.8%

CPS 

Year: 

2014

45.7%

45.6% MET

45.6

%

45.7

%

45.0%

45.1%

45.2%

45.3%

45.4%

45.5%

45.6%

45.7%

45.8%

1.3.A

46.8% 48.4%

35.0%

37.0%

39.0%

41.0%

43.0%

45.0%

47.0%

2013 2014 2015

1.3.B. Retention 

rate of first-time 

degree-seeking 

undergraduates: 

Full-time24

AY: 2011

71.9%

AY: 2011

71.9%

AY: 2012

71.8%

AY: 2013

72.9% 72.1% MET

72.

1%

72.

9%

45.0%

50.0%

55.0%

60.0%

65.0%

70.0%

75.0%

1.3.B

NA NA

65.0%

67.0%

69.0%

71.0%

73.0%

75.0%

2013 2014 2015

New Metric: 

Enrollment in IHEs 

where students’ 

median earnings 

10 years after 

entering college 

are below a 

minimum earnings 

threshold25

AY: 

2012–13

9.7%

NA NA

AY: 

2012–13

9.7%

NA NA 9.4% 9.0%

 

23 Metric is aligned with an APG. 

24 Metric being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period and being replaced with the metric identified as “New Metric” directly below it. If there is no corresponding “New 

Metric” identified, new metric TBD. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal and addition of metrics. The proposed FY 2016 and 2017 targets for the metric being 

removed were 72.1% and 72.3%, respectively. 

25 “Minimum earnings threshold” is defined as the median earnings above the level of an institution at the 25th percentile for students 10 years after entering college, which equals 

$19,000 for less-than-2-year institutions, $26,000 for 2-year institutions, and $35,000 for 4-year institutions. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 29

U.S. Department 

of Education 

Indicators of 

Success

Baseline

Actuals Current Year 

Target Current 

Year 

Results

Actual-to-Target 

2015 Out-Year Targets Trend Line

(Actuals)

2013 2014 2015 2015

Missed Exceeded

2016 2017

1.3.C. Retention 

rate of first-time 

degree-seeking 

undergraduates: 

Part-time26

AY: 2011

41.7%

AY: 2011

41.7%

AY: 2012

42.2%

AY: 2013

43.1% 42.6% MET

42.6

%

43.1

%

40.0%

40.5%

41.0%

41.5%

42.0%

42.5%

43.0%

43.5%

1.3.C

NA NA

35.0%

37.0%

39.0%

41.0%

43.0%

45.0%

2013 2014 2015

New Metric:

FAFSA renewal 

rate

FY: 2015

79% NA NA FY: 201579% NA NA

+/- one 

percentage 

point over 

prior year’s 

actual

+/- one 

percentage 

point over 

prior year’s 

actual

1.4.A. Number of 

STEM 

postsecondary 

credentials 

awarded

AY: 2010–11

531,018

AY: 2010–11

531,018

AY: 

2011–12

556,696

AY: 

2012–13

573,911

595,000 NOT 

MET

595,

000

573,

911

500,000

520,000

540,000

560,000

580,000

600,000

1.4.A

638,000 691,000

500,000

520,000

540,000

560,000

580,000

2013 2014 2015

NA = Not applicable. 

TBD = To be determined. 

Academic Year (AY) is a collegiate year spanning August–May; School Year (SY) spans August–July and is aligned with a P–12 school year; Fiscal Year (FY) corresponds to a federal 

fiscal year; Calendar Year (CY) spans January–December.

Data Sources and Frequency of Collection: 

1.1.A. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); annually 

1.1.B. IPEDS; annually 

1.1.C. The denominator is the number of graduating seniors according to the most recent projection by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The numerator is from 

FSA’s Central Processing System and is based on the number of applications during the first nine months of the application cycle that are—as of September 30 of the first year of the 

application cycle—complete (not rejected); first-time filers; incoming freshmen, with or without previous college attendance; age 18 or less as of June 30 of the first year of the 

application cycle; reporting high school diploma attainment; and attended a high school in the fifty states and Washington, DC; annually 

 

26 Metric being removed at the end of the FY 2015 reporting period and being replaced with the metric identified as “New Metric” directly below it. If there is no corresponding “New 

Metric” identified, new metric TBD. Please refer to appendix B for details pertaining to the removal and addition of metrics. The proposed FY 2016 and 2017 targets for the metric being 

removed were 42.9% and 43.5%, respectively. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 30

1.1.D. Rehabilitation Services Administration-911 (RSA-911); annually 

1.1.E. RSA-911; annually 

1.2.A. FSA Cohort Default Rate (CDR) Report, September 2014, and IPEDS Data Center; annually 

1.3.A. NCES Digest of Education Statistics, Table 104.30 (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_104.30.asp), Number of persons age 18 and over, by highest level of 

educational attainment, sex, race/ethnicity, and age: 2013. Tabulated from Current Population Survey (CPS) data, U.S. Census; annually 

1.3.B. IPEDS Data Center; annually 

1.3.C. IPEDS Data Center; annually 

1.4.A. IPEDS Data Center; annually 

Note on performance metrics and targets: These metrics were established as a part of the FY 2014–18 Strategic Plan. Metrics may be updated or revised to 

reflect awareness of more accurate data or clarifications. Such updates or revisions are identified in footnotes. 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 31

Analysis and Next Steps by Objective

Objective 1.1: Access and Affordability 

Explanation and Analysis of Progress: 

The Department supported or initiated a number of efforts and made progress toward this 

objective, despite limited ability to impact college costs or control price. The Department 

unveiled the expanded College Scorecard, a college choice tool that provides a wealth of 

customizable data—including many important metrics that have not been published before—so 

students and families can make informed choices based on the criteria most important to them. 

The Department also made the data behind the Scorecard publicly available in order to 

jumpstart efforts across the country to develop meaningful metrics for accountability. The 

Department continues to seek ways to simplify the FAFSA so it is easier and faster for students 

and families to apply for financial aid. Beginning with the 2017–18 award year, students can 

apply earlier and electronically retrieve tax information filed for an earlier year, rather than 

waiting until tax season to complete their applications. The number of IHEs agreeing to utilize 

the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, a model form that makes it easier for students to compare 

financial aid offers, grew from around 2,000 in 2013–14 to more than 3,000 in 2014–15 following 

an outreach effort to encourage institutions to sign on. 

Recognizing that FAFSA completion significantly increases chances that students will actually 

enroll in college, the Department issued guidance clarifying that state authorities may share 

FAFSA completion data with nonprofit organizations. This adds to the list of authorized entities 

that includes LEAs, The Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) and Gaining Early Awareness and 

Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grantees, tribal education authorities, and 

Indian organizations, so those entities can maximize the number of their students that complete 

the FAFSA. 

The Department has taken additional actions to help struggling federal student loan borrowers 

manage their debt. The Department held negotiated rulemaking sessions and finalized 

regulations in October 2015 that expand Pay As You Earn, an income-based repayment 

program, to all student borrowers who have direct loans. In the wake of the collapse of 

Corinthian Colleges, the Department announced in June of this year that it would begin 

implementing a previously little-used provision in the law called “defense to repayment,” which 

allows borrowers to seek loan forgiveness if they believe they were defrauded by their college 

under state law, and assigned a Special Master to oversee the high volume of loan discharge 

cases. Since then, the Special Master has issued two reports with recommendations for 

developing a process to handle these borrower defense claims. The Department also 

announced its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee in FY 2016 to address loan 

discharge and borrower defense issues, held two public hearings in September for the 

rulemaking, and since the end of the fiscal year has selected negotiators and announced three 

negotiated rulemaking sessions to be held in January, February, and March. The Department 

began to wind down contracts with five private collection agencies that provided inaccurate 

information to borrowers, and is revising existing contracts to ensure the proper balance 

between the interests of the borrower and of the taxpayer, as well as to increase the 

Department’s oversight capabilities. 

Subsequent to FY 2015, the Department issued a report on October 1, 2015 with U.S. 

Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on a 

series of statutory, regulatory, and administrative recommendations to safeguard student 

borrowers. The recommendations include establishing: a way for borrowers to authorize the 
PERFORMANCE PLAN SUMMARY

FY 2015 Annual Performance Report and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 32

Internal Revenue Service to release income information for multiple years to the Department to 

determine monthly payments under income-driven repayment plans; loan servicing standards; 

principles for borrower defense legislation; a streamlined discharge process for borrowers 

eligible for a total and permanent disability discharge of their loans; increased borrower 

protections in the federal student loan program; and protections for private student loan 

borrowers. The Under Secretary is overseeing a process to collect feedback from student 

borrowers and loan servicers in order to strengthen loan servicer contracts when they are 

renegotiated in the future. 

Research indicates that correctional education programs for prisoners reduce recidivism rates. 

The Department therefore launched a Second Chance Pell Grant pilot through the Experimental 

Sites program. The goal of this limited pilot program is to increase access to high-quality 

educational opportunities and help incarcerated individuals successfully transition out of prison 

and back into the classroom or the workforce. In addition, the Department invested in a series of 

demonstration projects through the Improving Reentry Education grant competition, and 

launched a program to improve the outcomes of juvenile justice youth in the reentry process 

through a strong partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

The partial restoration of Ability to Benefit provisions tied to career pathways restored access to 

federal student aid for millions of older youth and adults who lack a high school credential and 

are enrolled in a program that is part of a career pathway. The Department provided guidance 

through a Dear Colleague letter and initiated a series of webinars and other technical assistance 

activities to hold up programs and institutions that illustrate how to appropriately administer 

these new provisions. These efforts significantly open up affordable opportunities for those who 

were unable to complete high school due to a variety of reasons. 

As part of the Reach Higher Campaign, the Department collaborated with the Office of the First 

Lady to create a competition to promote the development of mobile app solutions that will help 

students navigate education and career pathways, including CTE. (The competition was 

subsequently announced in October 2015.) 

Although results for metrics 1.1.A, 1.1.B, 1.1.C, 1.1.D, and 1.1.E are influenced by actions taken 

by the Department, they are most influenced by factors that are beyond the control of the 

Department. For example, results for metrics 1.1.A and 1.1.B are most influenced by actions 

taken by postsecondary institutions, state and local agencies regarding funding decisions, and 

market forces and job creation trends. The Department met its FY 2015 performance targets for 

metrics 1.1.A and 1.1.B to slow the increase in average net price at public institutions. However, 

given the Department’s limited ability to influence net price, the Department plans to replace 

these metrics with different metrics for FY 2016. 

Regarding metric 1.1.C, the Department achieved its FY 2015 performance target to increase 

the number of high school students completing the FAFSA. Efforts such as the FAFSA 

completion project, increased outreach activities by FSA and other offices, and the 

Department’s participation in the American Council on Education’s National College Application 

Week initiative since 2011, likely contributed to success with this target. 

States are required to submit data for metrics 1.1.D and 1.1.E by November 30 for the previous 

fiscal year. As such, the FY 2015 data are not available until spring 2016. The Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed by the President in July 2014, reforms the public 

workforce system by strengthening alignment and access to employment, training, education, 

and support services needed to succeed in the labor market. In particular, the WIOA includes 

many changes that are designed to strengthen and improve employment for individuals with 
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disabilities, many served by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Supported 

Employment programs. WIOA places significant emphasis on obtaining competitive integrated 

employment, especially in the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Program services 

are designed to maximize the ability of individuals with disabilities, including individuals with the 

most significant disabilities, to achieve competitive integrated employment through customized 

employment, supported employment, and other individualized services. The Department will 

continue to track national aggregate annual earnings of Vocational Rehabilitation consumers 

and transition-aged youth. Future annual earnings are expected to improve by the regulatory 

actions that the Department will undertake in FY 2016. 

Challenges and Next Steps: 

The Department will take additional actions to help struggling federal student loan borrowers 

manage their debt. These actions include publishing final rules in October 2015 that expand the 

Pay As You Earn repayment program to all student borrowers with direct loans, which is 

expected to help millions of struggling borrowers; building on successful pilot programs to 

communicate information about federal student loan repayment options; conducting rulemaking 

on loan discharge and borrower defense issues; and advocating for the administration’s 

proposal for a single income-driven repayment plan. 

America’s College Promise, President Obama’s proposed initiative announced in January 2015, 

would allow students to attend community colleges tuition-free if they attend at least half-time, 

make satisfactory academic progress to a degree, and maintain a 2.5 grade point average. If 

Congress passes legislation to enact the proposal, and all states participate and provide quality 

programs, the plan could benefit millions of students by making a higher education more 

affordable. 

Although states are beginning to increase appropriations per full-time equivalent student, 

funding for higher education overall continues at historically low levels, which places pressure 

on institutions to raise costs in order to maintain quality and levels of service. Without specific 

programs, such as the proposed College Opportunity and Graduation Bonus program 

(discussed in strategic objective 1.3) and America’s College Promise, the Department has little 

influence over state funding decisions and is limited in its ability to impact net price and college 

cost. Despite these challenges, the Department will continue to highlight institutions that are 

taking steps to ensure affordability for families and will support practices that reduce cost by 

reducing the time taken to earn a degree, such as competency-based education (see discussion 

of Experimental Sites programs in section 1.2), dual enrollment,27 remedial education reforms, 

and improved articulation between institutions. The Department will also build on its existing 

work on consumer information tools, such as the College Scorecard; its work on consumer 

protections; and improving student loan servicing to ensure students have access to highquality, affordable education and quality customer service. 

Objective 1.2: Quality 

Explanation and Analysis of Progress: 

The Department pursued several rulemaking activities during FY 2015 on higher education 

topics, including the use of prepaid debit cards at IHEs; teacher preparation programs; and 

implementation of WIOA, which reforms adult education training and services, including in the 

areas of English language acquisition and vocational rehabilitation for individuals with 

 

27 An Experimental Site project addressing dual enrollment was subsequently announced on October 30, 2015. 
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disabilities. Most significantly, the Department implemented the Gainful Employment 

regulations, which took effect July 1, 2015, and began collecting data from institutions. The 

regulations foster program quality through transparency and accountability. Institutions will be 

required to notify students about completion rates as well as debt and earnings outcomes for 

certain types of occupational-oriented programs; programs that do not meet established 

standards risk losing eligibility for federal student aid funds. The Department also implemented 

its state authorization regulations on July 1 and reminded institutions and states of dual 

requirements that 1) IHEs must be authorized to operate in a given state by the appropriate 

state agency, and 2) that agency must have a process for handling student complaints. 

The Department continues to encourage the higher education community to focus on 

innovative, transparent, and validated approaches to student learning. Through the 

Experimental Sites initiative, the Department announced experiments in the areas of 

competency-based learning, Federal Work Study, and prior learning assessments. The results 

of these experiments will guide future policy decisions. The Department and the White House 

convened a group of 50 leading higher education experts for a discussion of innovation in higher 

education. Participants spent the day considering opportunities for innovation on which the 

federal government and others could take action expediently, and were led through a designthinking workshop about how online learning tools can catalyze improvements in postsecondary 

education. 

The Department awarded 18 First in the World grants totaling $60 million, with nine of the 

winning applications awarded to minority-serving institutions. The program focuses on highneed students and promotes evidence-based strategies and practices for college access and 

completion. Funded projects include a partnership of community colleges to implement 

proactive and individualized student support services, informed by an early alert and advising 

system based in predictive analytics; incorporating new teaching and learning strategies into the 

curriculum and student experience at an Historically Black College; and creating seamless 

transfer of lower-division general education requirements across participating institutions based 

on students’ demonstration of learning outcomes regardless of courses or credits completed. 

The Department, through a contractor, will provide technical assistance to assist all grantees in 

conducting rigorous project evaluations. Those projects showing evidence of success will serve 

as models for possible dissemination or could be eligible for future validation and scale-up 

grants. 

The Department awarded 40 grants totaling $17.5 million in the Strengthening Institutions 

Program (SIP).28 This program helps postsecondary schools expand their capacity to serve lowincome students by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional 

management, and fiscal stability, as well as build a framework to help students complete 

college. For the FY 2015 competition, the Department included a competitive preference priority 

supporting programs, practices, or strategies that are based on rigorous evidence. 

The Department created an interagency task force on for-profit schools, including the 

Departments of Education, Defense, Justice, Labor, the Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well 

as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and the 

Securities and Exchange Commission. The task force established a working group to focus on 

enforcement-related issues. 

The Department collaborated with the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS), the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Institute 

 

28 FY 2015 awards listed at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iduestitle3a/awards.html. 
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of Museum and Library Services to develop Performance Partnership Pilots (P3) for 

Disconnected Youth. Nine pilots were announced in October 2015 that will test the hypothesis 

that additional flexibility for states, localities, and tribes, in the form of blending funds and 

obtaining waivers of certain programmatic requirements, can help overcome some of the 

significant hurdles that states, localities, and tribes may face in providing intensive, 

comprehensive, and sustained service pathways and improving outcomes for disconnected 

youth. Proposed priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for a second 

competition are under development (subsequently published in October as well). 

In collaboration with the National Economic Council, the Department of Labor, and the Aspen 

Institute, the Department held an UpSkill Summit at the White House on April 24, 2015. One 

hundred employers made commitments to help millions of frontline workers develop their skills, 

training and credentials. The Department secured similar commitments from national and 

international labor unions and labor-management collaborations. 

As part of the President’s commitment to double the number of apprenticeships in the country, 

the Department collaborated with the Department of Labor and the Office of the Vice President 

to secure over 200 commitments from community colleges and their Registered Apprenticeship 

partners to grant college credits and degrees to individuals who hold apprenticeship program 

completion certificates. 

The Department surpassed its FY 2015 target for reducing the number of low-performing 

institutions—i.e., those with high student loan cohort default rates and below average 

completion rates. However, the Department proposes to replace this metric in FY 2016 with 

other metrics that take advantage of better data available through the expanded College 

Scorecard. 

Challenges and Next Steps: 

The Department will continue various rulemaking development and implementation activities 

during FY 2016. Working cooperatively with schools and the Social Security Administration, the 

Department must ensure that activities such as data matching and validation occur on schedule 

in processing Gainful Employment data. The Department will also publish final rules regarding 

WIOA, Teacher Prep, and cash management regulations.29 

In the innovation space, the Department will continue to develop specifications for Experimental 

Sites projects on dual enrollment and alternative methods of quality assurance (the latter 

project, dubbed Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships, or EQUIP, was 

subsequently announced in October 2015, as was the dual enrollment project). Processing 

amended Program Participation Agreements for institutions that wish to participate in the 

competency-based education and prior learning assessment experiments remains a complex 

activity and has taken longer than anticipated, but the Department expects to complete the 

process in FY 2016 so the experiments can commence. The Department will also consider 

steps that can be taken to help accreditors strengthen their oversight of institutions. 

The possible reauthorization of the Higher Education Act could provide an opportunity to 

develop new ways to encourage innovation and quality in this sector. Continuing to embed 

evidence-based practices in grant competitions is another area in which the Department can 

foster quality in terms of better student outcomes. The interagency For-Profit Task Force will 

 

29 Final Rules regarding Cash Management Regulations were published in October 2015. 
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work toward sharing information to ensure that students are protected from unscrupulous 

institutional behavior. 

The reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 

2006 creates opportunities to name quality features of CTE programs, strengthen the link 

between funding and results by incentivizing performance-based funding (such as completionbased state funding as an alternative to enrollment-based state funding mechanisms), and 

embed innovation funding in a reauthorized law that would include innovations, such as the 

American Technical Training Fund targeted at cohort-based, accelerated programming for highdemand sectors and occupations that embed remediation into program design. 

Finally, the emphasis in WIOA Title II on integrated education and training programming opens 

the door for programs that by design allow adults to work on their basic skills while 

simultaneously pursuing credit-bearing courses at the postsecondary level that lead toward 

certificates or degrees in high-demand fields.

Objective 1.3: Completion 

Explanation and Analysis of Progress: 

The Department made progress through a variety of activities to support this strategic objective, 

especially by embedding a focus on completion in more grant competitions. One competition 

incorporated a competitive preference priority to increase postsecondary access, affordability 

and completion: Predominantly Black Institutions. The Department awarded grants to Asian 

American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions that are designed to 

increase the number and proportion of high-need students who are academically prepared for, 

enroll in, or complete on time college, other postsecondary education, or other CTE. In the 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant competition, the Department incorporated two competitive 

preference priorities: one to support tutoring, counseling, and student service programs 

designed to improve academic success, including innovative and customized instruction 

courses designed to help retain students and move the students rapidly into core courses and 

through program completion; and one to develop and implement high-quality online or hybrid 

credit-bearing learning opportunities that reduce the cost of higher education, reduce time to 

degree completion, or allow students to progress at their own pace. First in the World grants, 

discussed in strategic objective 1.2, also support practices that improve college completion. The 

IES announced a competition to establish a Research Network on Scalable Practices to Support 

College Completion, and expects to award a grant during the first quarter of FY 2016. 

The Department launched a new National Activities Project to study CTE stackable certificates. 

During the project’s first year, the Department will gather information and convene 

knowledgeable stakeholders. During the second year, the Department will provide technical 

assistance to the field. A new CTE innovation program proposed in the FY 2016 budget, the 

American Technical Training Fund, would support the development and implementation of new 

models and practices at the local level. 

The College Opportunity and Graduation Bonus program, also proposed in the FY 2016 budget, 

would provide $7 billion in mandatory budget authority over 10 years to support colleges that 

successfully enroll and graduate a significant number of low- and moderate-income students on 

time and encourage all institutions to improve their performance. 

Many students that enter higher education are not college ready. Improving the community 

college developmental education system is an important element of improving community 
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college completion. In 2015, the Department launched “Supporting Student Success: Adult 

Education and Remedial Education Reform in Community Colleges,” a national activity to 

improve developmental education practices across several states. 

The Department cohosted with the White House a College Opportunity Summit on December 4, 

2015, focused on completion and affordability, as well as on partnerships between P-12 and 

higher education to promote educational quality and seamless transitions from high school to 

college. Almost 300 commitments were announced at the summit to improve college 

opportunities for young people in communities across the country through college readiness 

partnerships, college advising, improving STEM learning and degree completion for 

underrepresented students, and helping more students complete their degrees. 

In an effort to scale up successful practices that lead to completion, especially in the area of 

remedial education, the Department developed communities of practice among minority-serving 

community colleges. Lead institutions were identified, recruited, and trained. Two communities 

of practice have been launched as of October 2015. Subsequently, on November 16–17, 2015, 

approximately 130 minority-serving community colleges met at the Department and exchanged 

promising practices; received technical assistance from the Department and 13 federal 

agencies; and heard from leading authorities in the fields of minority-serving institution research, 

philanthropy, and student success strategies. Several colleges stepped forward to join the other 

lead colleges in growing the communities of practice that will continue the capacity-building 

dialogue with the federal agencies. 

The Department achieved its performance target for metric 1.3.A with an educational attainment 

rate of 45.7 percent. The Department also achieved its performance targets for metric 1.3.B with 

a retention rate of 72.9 percent for full-time students and metric 1.3.C with a retention rate of 

43.1 percent for part-time students. Given the Department’s limited ability to impact retention 

rates overall, the Department proposes alternative metrics to replace 1.3.B and 1.3.C for FY 

2016.

Challenges and Next Steps: 

The Department’s ability to significantly impact completion rates on a large scale nationwide 

depends on Congressional support for programs proposed through the budget process. There is 

also a time lag in that actions and changes initiated in any particular year will take several years 

to show results as the cohort progresses through its educational programs. The Department will 

continue to incorporate postsecondary completion as a competitive preference priority in grant 

competitions where appropriate. 

While the Department achieved its FY 2015 performance target for educational attainment, the 

targets in future years are set to grow at increasingly accelerated rates in order to reach the 

President’s 2020 goal of 60 percent degree attainment. However, while increases in high school 

graduation rates (one of the factors that feed into the attainment rate) are growing, data from the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics show that fewer high school graduates are opting for college than 

they were in 2009—65.9 percent in 2013 and 68.4 percent in 2014, compared to a high point of 

70.1 percent in 2009.30 Total fall enrollment has declined as well, falling by an estimated 3.6 

percent in 2014 from an enrollment surge in 2010.31 These data may be attributable to the 

 

30 Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Enrollment and Work Activity of High School Graduates News Release, April 22, 2014, and 

April 16, 2015: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.htm. 

31 National Center for Educational Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2014, “Table 303.10. Total fall enrollment in degreegranting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control of institution: Selected years, 1947 through 

2024”: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/tables/dt14_303.10.asp. 
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natural cycle of higher enrollment rates during economic downturns followed by comparatively 

lower rates as the economy improves, but these trends may impact the ability to achieve the 

targeted growth in the attainment rate unless institutions significantly increase the percentage of 

students who complete their programs of study. Despite efforts to support college completion for 

underrepresented students, equity gaps in the attainment rate based on race, ethnicity, and 

disability status have not lessened. 

Subpopulation Breakout for Metric 1.3.A: Degree attainment among 25–34-year-old age 

cohort, by race/ethnicity and disability status* 

White Black Hispanic Asian

Pacific 

Islander

American 

Indian

Two or 

More 

Races Disability

Percentage, 

2012 51.6% 32.6% 22.6% 68.7% 37.2%** 29.3%** 45.7% 20.9%

Percentage, 

2013 52.4% 33.2% 22.7% 70.9% 41.4%** 25.1%** 46.7% 19.1%

Percentage, 

2014 53.6% 33.0% 24.0% 71.5% 30.6%** 21.4%** 44.4% 21.0%

Note: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. 

* Disability is defined as: deaf; blind; difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; difficulty walking or climbing stairs; 

difficulty dressing or bathing; difficulty doing errands alone. 

** Interpret with caution; small sample sizes reduce the reliability of these estimates. 

Data Source and Frequency of Collection: NCES tabulations of data from the Current Population Survey, Census; annually

Objective 1.4: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways 

Explanation and Analysis of Progress: 

The Department, in consultation with OMB, has highlighted this objective as a focus area for 

improvement. The number of STEM postsecondary credentials awarded is shaped by actions 

taken by postsecondary institutions, by state and local agencies through funding decisions, and 

by market forces and jobs creation trends. Many external factors impact this objective but the 

Department can nonetheless assert considerable influence to improve quality and access in 

STEM education. The total number of STEM postsecondary credentials awarded reflects a 

mixed response to the President’s call to graduate an additional 1 million STEM majors by 2020. 

To reach that ambitious goal, the target of total credentials established for FY 2015 was 

595,000; the actual number of granted credentials was 573,911. The First in the World program, 

which seeks to address persistent and widespread challenges in postsecondary education for 

high-need students, awarded more than half of the development grants for implementation and 

evaluation of projects to increase success in STEM fields or that utilize education technology to 

enhance learning and assessment. 

OCTAE is leading initiatives seeking to increase knowledge of and access to postsecondary 

STEM opportunities. For example, the CTE makeover challenge will incorporate “making” and 

“maker spaces” into CTE programs by upgrading or modernizing facilities that meet the needs 

of manufacturing in the 21st century. The Reach Higher App challenge will spur innovation in 

career exploration by empowering students with individualized career and education 

information. During this reporting period, the White House Initiative on Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities held its annual conference focused on STEM and entrepreneurship. 

Across the administration, the Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) has established a 

task force which is working to enhance the undergraduate experience of STEM majors through 
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a formally chartered interagency working group led by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

The group is focused on four major objectives: 

 Evidence-based practices to improve undergraduate learning and retention in STEM; 

 Community college efforts to both support two-year students and create bridges 

between two- and four-year postsecondary institutions; 

 Research experiences that involve both university-industry and university-federal entity 

partnerships, particularly for students in the first two years; and 

 Promoting mathematics success to help combat excessively high failure rates in 

introductory math courses at the undergraduate level. 

Representatives from the Department have been instrumental in bringing new focus to the role 

of community colleges and articulation programs in supporting undergraduate STEM education. 

We anticipate that increasing the overall pipeline of candidates pursuing postsecondary 

education through community colleges and articulation programs will help address the decline in 

STEM certificates awarded. 

Trends for females and minority students point to continued challenges in broadening 

participation in STEM. More STEM credentials were awarded in 2012–13 to students of each 

gender and racial/ethnic category—including Hispanic and Black—than in previous years, with 

the exception of American Indian and Alaska Native students. Along with the CoSTEM 

interagency working group focused on broadening participation in STEM, the My Brother’s 

Keeper and Reach Higher initiatives, as well as other targeted efforts, may help expand 

participation of underrepresented groups in postsecondary STEM programs. 

Challenges and Next Steps:

The Office of STEM has been in place since June 2014. As a comparatively new entity one of 

its primary tasks has been to identify programs within the Department and across the federal 

government that are well suited for enhancing and increasing STEM participation through 

strategic use of STEM priorities. For programs that have already implemented STEM strategies, 

the office lends its expertise for program review and evaluation. The investments at the 

Department that address STEM degree and credential completion in particular are limited to 

select programs that target minority-serving institutions. As the next grant cycle commences, the 

Department is engaging in planning meetings that will identify areas for strategic leverage—

technical assistance to grantees, preaward support to potential applicants, etc. The Department 

will continue to promote STEM pathway opportunities within the CoSTEM structure that include 

community colleges, as well as engage with specific STEM-focused initiatives led by corporate 

and philanthropic entities that help elevate the quality of STEM programs and advance STEM 

participation (e.g., STEM Learning Ecosystems). 
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Subpopulation Breakout for Metric 1.4.A: STEM* postsecondary credentials awarded by 

degree-granting institutions**, by gender and race/ethnicity 

Year Total

Gender Race/Ethnicity

Male Female White Black Hispanic

Asian/Pacific Islander American 

Indian/

Alaska 

Native

Two or 

More 

Races

Nonresident 

Total Asian Alien

Pacific 

Islander

2010–

11 531,018 370,922 160,096 319,327 47,014 45,794 51,461 50,250 1,211 3,601 5,551 58,270

2011–

12 556,696 387,705 168,991 333,652 47,004 49,262 53,670 52,336 1,334 3,600 7,388 62,120

2012–

13 573,911 397,074 176,837 337,191 47,721 52,982 56,984 55,564 1,420 3,580 9,809 65,644

* STEM includes the following fields: Biological and biomedical sciences, Computer and information sciences, Engineering, 

Engineering technologies and engineering-related fields, Mathematics and statistics, and Physical sciences and science 

technologies. Engineering technologies and engineering-related fields excludes “Construction trades” and “Mechanic and repair 

technologies/technicians,” which are listed separately. The baseline has been recalculated from what was reported in the FY 2013 

Annual Performance Report and FY 2015 Annual Performance Plan because of revised IPEDS data. Additionally, last year’s data 

included Military technologies and applied sciences, which is no longer included in the calculation. 

** Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Race 

categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Reported racial/ethnic distributions of students by level of degree, field of degree, 

and sex were used to estimate race/ethnicity for students whose race/ethnicity was not reported. To facilitate trend comparisons, 

certain aggregations have been made of the degree fields as reported in the IPEDS Fall survey: “Agriculture and natural resources” 

includes Agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences and Natural resources and conservation; and “Business” includes 

Business management, marketing, and related support services and Personal and culinary services. 

Data Source and Frequency of Collection: IPEDS Data Center; annually 

Selected Strategies to Achieve Goal 1

The Department must ensure that all students—recent high school graduates and adult learners 

alike—are well prepared for college and careers by helping more of them enroll in 

postsecondary education or training and helping to increase the number of those who complete 

programs of study with a degree or certificate. This effort includes continuing to promote STEM 

pathway opportunities that help elevate the quality of STEM programs and advance STEM 

participation. 

The Department continues to help struggling federal student loan borrowers manage their debt. 

Activities planned for FY 2016 include rulemaking to address borrower defense to repayment 

issues; new borrower outreach efforts about repayment options; strengthening loan servicing in 

ways that better serve borrowers; and advocating to simplify income-driven repayment plans. 

FSA is also developing a student aid complaint system that will allow students to submit 

complaints easily. Another FSA initiative, creating an enterprise data warehouse, will provide 

timely, accurate, and consistent access to FSA data. FSA has begun releasing additional 

information and reports to the public and will continue those transparency efforts in FY 2016.

To most effectively impact attainment rates, the Department will implement the President’s 

College Value and Affordability Agenda. One central strategy promotes innovation and 

competition (such as in course redesign and student services, accelerating time to degree by 

fostering dual enrollment and competency-based education). To support innovation and 

competition, the Department will launch Experimental Sites pilots on competency-based 
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education, prior learning assessment, dual enrollment, and alternative methods of quality 

assurance; and award P3 for Disconnected Youth.32

A second major strategy holds institutions and students accountable for completion and 

postsecondary outcomes by fostering more informed decision-making by students and wiser 

investment of resources by institutions. To support this strategy, the Department will consider 

enhancements and additional data sources for the College Scorecard; continue implementing 

the Gainful Employment regulations; publish regulations implementing WIOA; and convene 

minority-serving community colleges in an effort to scale up successful practices that lead to 

completion, especially in the area of remedial education. 

The Department will continue to spotlight model state programs and draw on them to shape 

federal strategies. The Department will highlight institutions that are working in noteworthy ways 

to successfully enroll and graduate low-income students. Furthermore, the Department 

continues to implement an evidence-based approach for institutional grants, with, for example, 

the use of competitive priorities in the SIP and the tiered-evidence structure of the First in the 

World grant competition. The net effect of these strategies will be to boost completion rates and, 

by extension, educational attainment. 

 

32 The P3 for Disconnected Youth awards were subsequently announced in October 2015.