HIGHER ED DIVE — Last week, the Education Department wrapped up months of negotiated rulemaking, a process that requires the agency to convene representatives from across higher education to attempt to reach consensus on new regulatory proposals. The sessions involved talks among more than a dozen representatives for different groups, including nonprofit colleges, for-profit institutions and consumer advocates. The negotiators considered seven new regulatory proposals that would affect student aid programs, but they only reached consensus on two — the 90/10 rule and a regulation governing whether certain students without high school diplomas can receive federal financial aid.”It is surprising to a lot of people in higher education that the negotiating committee reached consensus on what was probably one of the most contentious items,” Kent said. “I don’t think that a lot of people — especially when they saw the department’s opening proposal in January — thought that there was any way that the committee would reach consensus.”