The Gainful Employment Rule and Why it Matters

The Gainful Employment (GE) rule, mandated by the Higher Education Act, aims to ensure that career education programs receiving federal student aid prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. The rule seeks to protect students from low-value programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debt and poor job prospects This fact sheet gives an overview of the history of GE, how the rule is implemented, and its importance in protecting students and taxpayers.