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| Under Secretary of Education | |
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| Title | Under Secretary of Education |
Under Secretary of Education
The Under Secretary of Education is a senior executive position within the United States Department of Education that assists the United States Secretary of Education and coordinates policy across federal agencies. The office interfaces with federal programs such as the Pell Grant program, the Federal Student Aid office, and interagency initiatives involving the Office for Civil Rights, the Department of Labor, and the National Science Foundation. Holders of the office often engage with institutions including the United States Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States in litigation contexts, and national organizations like the American Council on Education and the National Education Association.
The Under Secretary advises the President of the United States and the United States Secretary of Education on policy related to postsecondary programs, student financial assistance, institutional accreditation such as by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and workforce training collaborations with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services. Responsibilities include oversight of federal regulatory actions under statutes such as the Higher Education Act of 1965, coordination with the Office of Management and Budget on budget proposals, and representation before congressional committees like the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The Under Secretary often liaises with accreditation bodies including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and with philanthropic organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The office emerged amid federal expansions in postsecondary policy during the administrations of presidents including Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon as congressional action such as amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the creation of program offices responded to rising enrollment at institutions like the University of California, Berkeley and the City University of New York. During the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, the office’s functions shifted with debates over federal regulation and state roles represented by organizations such as the National Governors Association. In later years under Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, the Under Secretary’s portfolio adapted to crises and reforms, interacting with entities like the Federal Reserve System on student loan markets and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during public health events.
The Under Secretary is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate following hearings before committees such as the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Succession protocols place the Under Secretary in the department’s order of succession behind the Deputy Secretary of Education and above assistant secretaries for areas such as accreditation and postsecondary policy. Nominations have at times become focal points in partisan debates involving senators from states with major institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Michigan.
Within the United States Department of Education the Under Secretary supervises offices including Federal Student Aid, program offices aligned with the Institute of Education Sciences, and policy units coordinating with external stakeholders such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the National Center for Education Statistics. Duties extend to management of rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act, coordination with the Office of Civil Rights on compliance matters, and interaction with nonprofit research organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution. The Under Secretary also directs initiatives involving state education agencies like the California Department of Education and associations such as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Notable individuals who have held the post include career officials and appointees who later engaged with academia and policy organizations: figures who moved between the Department and institutions such as Georgetown University, Columbia University, Princeton University, or think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Urban Institute. Some former Under Secretaries have testified before the United States Congress and authored reports reviewed by the Government Accountability Office.
The office has been central in disputes over regulations derived from the Higher Education Act of 1965, student loan policies connected to the Federal Student Aid portfolio, and enforcement actions by the Office for Civil Rights against institutions accused of violating federal statutes. Controversies have involved interactions with accrediting agencies such as the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and disputes with stakeholders including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and for-profit college chains like Kaplan, Inc. and University of Phoenix. Congressional inquiries and litigation in federal courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit have shaped debates over administrative authority and due process.
United States Secretary of Education Deputy Secretary of Education Higher Education Act of 1965 Federal Student Aid Office for Civil Rights Council for Higher Education Accreditation Institute of Education Sciences American Council on Education National Education Association United States Department of Education
Category:United States Department of Education offices