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STEUBENVILLE -- Eastern Gateway Community College pulled the plug on its free college benefits program Wednesday, exercising what officials there are calling an "abundance of caution" after questions arose about Department of Education instructions for the fall semester.
DOE Midwest Division Chief Jeremy Early had issued a "cease and desist" notice July 18 ordering EGCC to pause its Free College Benefit program "and not disburse Pell grant funds to any new students enrolling in (it) until the program is redesigned," but a week later EGCC President Michael Geoghegan said with the fall semester about to begin, DOE had indicated for the time being the school could offer their Free College program to new and returning students for the fall 2022 semester.
Geoghegan had been scheduled to meet Wednesday with Early, the author of both memos, but it was canceled after EGCC, "in an effort to proactively communicate with (Early) ... provided him with a list of discussion items for the session; each was related to the cease-and-desist letter sent by (him) on July 18. That letter contained several substantive references to a need for restructuring of the Free College Benefit Program, and accordingly, our discussion items and questions focused heavily on that subject."
They said Early responded by requesting a postponement "so that we can internally discuss all of the questions and provide answers. The department will provide you the answers in writing as soon as possible."
Geoghegan could not be reached Wednesday for comment. In an update posted on the college's website, however, school officials said they were "disappointed" by the decision, "particularly because our questions sought clarity related to DOE's July 18 letter."
More concerning, EGCC said Early also said that, "The department can confirm that the students who were accepted for enrollment prior to the date of the cease-and-desist letter (July 18) can be awarded Title IV aid for the fall semester. Students enrolled outside of the Free College Benefits Program are also eligible for Title IV funding."
"Obviously, this directly conflicts with the guidance offered by Early on Monday, in which we were given the impression that newly enrolled students in the Free College Benefit Program could also continue in full for the fall 2022 semester," college officials had noted in its website update.
In a news release issued later Wednesday, EGCC said that, "After thorough discussion with college legal counsel and the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the college has concluded that it is in the best interest of EGCC to move forward only by exercising an abundance of caution. As such, and until EGCC receives the responses from DOE, the college is temporarily suspending new enrollments in the Free College Benefit for fall 2022."
"We understand that this is a frustrating change of direction for our students, our staff and the EGCC community," the release continued. "However, we know with certainty that this path will align with the most conservative elements of guidance received to date from DOE, and therefore it will avoid further scrutiny or potential misinterpretation while DOE works to provide us with answers. This serves to preserve the integrity of the college and leave zero doubt as to whether we are being compliant with DOE's current directives," Geoghegan said in the statement.
EGCC students who enrolled for Fall 2022 courses on or before July 18 will be able to attend fall classes and use Title IV aid and the Free College Benefit.