DISTANCE LEARNING - STANDARDIZATION AND ACCESS
by Jack Johnson

(fourth in a series of articles concerning Distance Ed issues)

One of the functions of WASFAA's Task Force on Distance Learning is to provide training for WASFAA members as a forum on distance learning. This forum includes critical issues faced by financial aid offices as they serve distance learners. We are making presentations at the various state conferences throughout WASFAA. The forum is designed to address critical issues affecting institutions and their ability to serve students at a distance. The issues include student/institutional eligibility, cost of attendance, enrollment, disbursement, satisfactory academic progress, and refund/ repayment policy. The intent is to provide information on what the issues are, and why they exist. The assumption is that once the financial aid leadership understands the relationship between distance learning and these critical issues, they will be better equipped to serve the distance learner.

Another recent event having positive implications for distance learning is congress passing the Higher Education Amendment of 1998. This amendment provides for demonstration programs to test the quality and viability of expanded distance education programs that the higher education act currently restricts. These programs will provide increased student access to higher education through distance education programs. They will allow institutions accepted into the program to waive restrictive criteria so distance learning programs, including virtual universities, can be put in place. Institutions accepted into the demonstration project will be eligible to participate in title IV financial aid programs. Again, this is certain to increase access to students seeking post-secondary education through distance learning. In addition, it will provide incentive for institutions who desire increased involvement in distance learning programs.

Finally, we all know the Information Age is making unbelievable advances in every aspect of our lives. For those of us working in education, we learned long ago that the tasks needed to support students could best be accomplished if they were broken out, specialized and then categorized within specific offices. Thus today we have the registrar, business, admission, and financial aid offices. These offices have developed standard procedures that provide excellent services to students who attended on our campuses.

However, institutions are finding they must undergo significant adjustments to these standard procedures if they are to accomplish distance learning objectives brought on by the information age. The financial aid profession is providing the leadership at many of our institutions for new distance learning scenarios. This includes "connecting" the registrar, admission, business, and financial aid offices for the purpose of developing electronic and sometimes unconventional processes. There must be mutual support between these offices in developing distance learning scenarios. Issues within these offices can be as extensive and critical as they are in the financial aid office. Transcribing practices, transfer of virtual credits, residency requirements, and verification of enrollment are a few of the challenges facing our registrars. Developing admission criteria, determining athletic eligibility, and factoring in the impact of distance learners on student enrollment management are examples of the critical issues facing our admissions offices. How to disburse aid to distance learners generates a whole host of concerns for the business office. Many of these issues have financial aid implications, and the financial aid profession has taken the leadership role as institutions "gear up" for distance learning.

So how can we further assist students from across the nation who wish to access virtual courses, or complete virtual programs generated at our institutions? What can be done to assist institutions so they can provide adequate distance learning service to students? How difficult is the process for students across the nation to:

1. Access a virtual library on the west part of the United States?
2. Enroll?
3. Pay for the instruction?
4. Received financial aid?
5. Have that virtual credit transcribed to their home institution?

Thomas Edison's electric light bulb really did not "connect" until the size of the socket it screwed into was standardized. When that occurred, the light bulb could be produced centrally and distributed throughout the nation for local use. We are finding that standardizing electronic formats for computer usage is necessary if we want common usage and general access to programs and systems. Perhaps it is time to develop national standards or procedures for distance learning!

What may be needed is a national forum - a consortia of admission, business, financial aid, and registrar professionals formed to develop standard operating procedures relating to distance learning. This consortia would include representatives from the Department of Education as well as ad-hoc membership from the student loan industry and other interested parties. Once we agree on a policy or procedure, it could be published and entered into a national "Blue Book-On Line". This manual would provide guidance and allow for common and accepted distance learning practices that could be implemented across the nation. Of course institutions would retain their ability to enter into unique agreements. Standardizing procedures would provide further access to distance learning programs students want, and would allow our institutions to provide that service in a polished and professional manner. This of course is what we are striving for in the financial aid profession.

Meanwhile, it may be helpful to watch how procedural adjustment occurs in other industries and the government as they are "touched" by the information age.