Formatting issues led to the rejection of nearly a hundred funding applications that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said will now be reviewed despite mistakes like double-spacing. DeVos said her department will re-evaluate those applications that were rejected by the system, The Associated Press reported.
“When we found out about the issue with regard to the formatting errors, it was after the competition was closed,” DeVos reportedly told a House subcommittee when asked about applications by programs that help low-income students prepare for college.
“We looked at all viable legal remedies to try to address it and did not find any.”
{mosads}However, the Department of Education will be able to re-evaluate the applications now that Congress has appropriated another $50 million toward the program.
Congressional staff in Rep. Warren Davidson’s (R-Ohio) office wrote a memo detailing how the appropriated money could allow the Department of Education to re-evaluate the 77 rejected applications.
“Today is a victory for commonsense government,” said Davidson in a statement reported by the AP. “I am glad they are taking my recommendation and will give these schools an opportunity to be judged on their merits.”