What Laws Pertain to Distance Learning

Just as there are laws in place that govern all facets of society, there is no exception to the rule when it comes to distance learning. Here, too, there are laws that have to be honored and upheld in order to prevent any one person or organization from ending up with too much power.

One regulation that affects distance learning is the Fifty Percent Rule. Created in 1992 and still current today, this law excludes eligible institutions from offering federal financial aid under certain conditions, such as: if more than half of the institutions students are from distance learning programs or if the institution itself offers more classes for distance learning than it does on campus. This law can only be rectified by Congress.

Another law concerning online education is the 12 Hour Rule, which aims to ward off “diploma mills” or fraudulent online degree programs. “Diploma mills” tend offer distance learning or correspondence programs that do not meet government standards but seek to attain funding from the government. This law declares that all online education programs for non-traditional students must provide at least 12 hours of regularly scheduled instructions and exams for students to be able to qualify for federal financial aid. Currently this law has been deemed the Internet Equity & Education Act of 2001.

The Distance Education Demonstration Program was created in 1998 to reexamine the laws surrounding distance education and financial aid. As a result, Congress has waived several institutions of the rules surround the Fifty Percent Rule and the 12 Hour Rule in order for students to obtain adequate funding for distance learning programs.

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, better known as FERPA, is a law that is in place to protect the privacy and confidentiality of student records, as well as the release or viewing of them. The only person who is allowed to view those records besides the institution itself is the student who may wish to view their own records to maintain accuracy and so forth.

The Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH) was established to allow the educators a separate set of rights to display the works of students in the classroom. Before this Act was enforced, an online classroom had very different standards. This Act gives educators more rights to perform and display work, as well as make copies to use in part of a distance learning program.

These laws are in place and enforced by government officials to make sure that each individual and organization is equally protected and receives fair and proper treatment. Along the way, some may be revised, but they are still there for protection to all.