A new federal regulation to Title IV, which required professors to report the attendance of their students between Sept. 6 and Sept. 12, took effect at the beginning of last semester. If the university determines that the student is not attending/engaging in class, they can be dropped from the class and could have their financial aid taken away if they become part-time. Although I believe there are some flaws in this system, I think its overall purpose is good. 

One of the advantages to this new policy is that financial aid money will not be wasted on students who are not taking school seriously. If a student is not coming to class and is not putting effort into school, they could have their financial aid taken away, which means there is more money for students that do prioritize their classes.

With the increasing cost of college, students all across the country are in more need of financial aid than ever before, so making sure that this money is going to people who are serious about school is so important.

However, I do think that being in college should come with a sense of responsibility, including deciding to come to class or not. Some students are able to get good grades and learn what they need to by simply looking at the lecture notes online, and do not necessarily have to go to class in order to succeed. If someone is in financial need, they should be able to use that money in college in any way they want, even if that means they aren’t going to class all the time.

I know how difficult it can be for people to pay for college, so ensuring that financial aid is going to dedicated students makes a lot of sense. 

I think this policy could be improved if the monitoring period was not only at the beginning of the semester. Students usually have a lot of motivation and drive when the semester is first starting, and then begin to skip classes more as the semester goes on. Only reporting attendance in the first few weeks is not an accurate portrayal of how dedicated a student is.

I also think that attendance should not be the only thing considered in this policy. If grades were combined in this reporting process, there would be a more accurate depiction of the students who are not taking school seriously.