Repeal of the Gainful Employment Standards for Career Programs

In the coming days, the U.S. Department of Education will publish a final regulation repealing the gainful employment rule, which identifies career education programs that consistently leave students with large debts they cannot afford. Many of these programs are offered by for-profit colleges, and they disproportionately enroll veterans and students of color.

This memorandum summarizes the current status and likely future developments related to the gainful employment rule. It includes new analysis of data released by the Department of Education in January 2019.