
22 Mar US Department of Education Third-Party Servicer Changes: Resource Round-Up
**Update ** As of February 28, 2023, the US Department of Education has updated its guidance “to extend the public comment period, establish a future effective date for the guidance, and extend the reporting deadline for institutions and third-party servicers.” The deadline is now September 1, 2023 (rather than May 1).
Resources have also been added below.
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On February 15, the US Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter regarding significant expansion to what it considers a Third-Party Servicer. A set of FAQs was also provided. The Third-Party Servicer changes have widespread implications for nearly all institutions and many departments within the college or university — including departments involved with admissions, enrollment, retention, data analysis, technology, etc. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in May 2022 citing recommendations for OPMs based on their findings.
The following are links to resources that may be helpful to Third-Party Servicers as well as colleges and universities.
Attorney Reviews:
CooleyED – Article
Thompson Coburn – Article
Thompson Coburn – Webinar (3/27/23)
Hush Blackwell – Article
Duane Morris – Article
Holland & Knight – Article
Higher Education Organizations:
WICHE – Article
UPCEA – Article
ACE – Joint Group Letter
NACUBO – Article
NAICU – Letter
NAICU – Issue Summary
News/Media
Inside HigherEd – Debrief of the DOE Listening Sessions
Inside HigherEd – Article 2
Inside Higher Ed – Article 1
EdSurge – Article
Higher Ed Dive – Article 2
HigherEd Dive – Article 1
Higher Education Businesses
D2L – Not a Third-Party Statement
Opinions:
Whiteboard Advisors – Webinar Discussion
Forbes – Article
Phil on Ed Tech – Article
OPMs
Pearson Sells its OPM – Article
If you have additional free resources to be added, email the link for consideration.