Giving Compass' Take:

· According to Education Dive, the U.S. Department of Education is putting an end to federal aid support for colleges with competency-based education programs. 

· How will this impact the current students enrolled at these institutions? What was the cause of this decision? 

· Here's more on competency-based learning.

The U.S. Department of Education is ending experiments that allowed participating colleges with competency-based education (CBE) programs to receive federal aid, according to an agency letter obtained by Education Dive.

Launched in 2014, the experiments waived federal aid rules for some colleges with CBE programs, which allow students to complete coursework mostly at their own pace instead of on a fixed schedule. The aim was to collect data to inform policy decisions on CBE. Inside Higher Ed first reported the Ed Department was halting the experiments.

The Ed Department notified affected colleges last month that the experimental sites initiative will end on June 30, 2020, though colleges that have active programs may be able to receive federal aid through 2021 to give students time to complete their studies.

The Ed Department's website lists more than a dozen institutions — including large universities such as Southern New Hampshire and Capella, as well as several community colleges — as participating in the experiments, though some may no longer have active CBE programs.

The agency is ending the experiments after it crafted new regulatory language that could affect CBE programs. Although the department has not yet issued final regulations, the proposed changes include a new system for disbursing federal aid for some CBE programs, according to the letter.

Read the full article about competency-based education by Natalie Schwartz at Education Dive.