Most of the controversy over the “gainful employment” regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Education has focused on for-profit higher education, but some community college programs also would be covered; namely, certificate programs of a year or longer that do not lead to a degree. The American Association of Community Colleges argues that those programs should not be covered if, in combination with general education requirements, the certificate requirements would lead to an associate degree. The community colleges also want to see an exemption for programs in which fewer than 35% of students use federal loan programs.Source: Inside Higher Ed