Defense and national security · Veterans

Executive Order 13607: Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members

President: Barack Obama

Set transparency, recruiting, accreditation and student-support standards for schools receiving military or veterans’ education funds.

Status: In effect.

Is Executive Order 13607 still in effect? Yes. Active voluntary Principles of Excellence program, with many protections separately made mandatory by 2021 law.

What does Executive Order 13607 do?

EO 13607 responded to aggressive recruiting and poor information facing service members, veterans and families. It asked participating schools to disclose total cost and aid, avoid deceptive recruiting, provide academic plans, accommodate military obligations and obtain required approvals. VA still enrolls institutions in the voluntary Principles of Excellence program, while section 1018 of the Isakson and Roe Act made many comparable requirements conditions of GI Bill approval.

Administration position: The order did not guarantee school quality or student outcomes; students still need to compare accreditation, costs, benefits and program approval.
SignedApril 27, 2012
ProgramPrinciples of Excellence
ParticipationVoluntary pledge plus statutory requirements

Before and after

Before the order

Consumer information and complaint systems differed across Defense, VA and Education benefits.

After the order

Agencies created common principles, comparison tools and a centralized complaint system, later reinforced by statute.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
SchoolsCommit to and follow the voluntary principlesContinuing for participants
VA Defense and EducationMaintain tools oversight and complaint coordinationContinuing
GI Bill schoolsMeet statutory section 1018 requirementsContinuing mandatory duty

What happened next

EO 13607 issued.

Public Law 116-315 enacted section 1018 protections.