This week, the Obama Administration is expected to release new finalized regulations for colleges and universities that participate in federal student aid programs.

The regulations amount to a significant expansion of federal oversight of higher education. The regulations range from efforts to reshape how admissions recruiters are paid to how course credits are defined to how career training programs are launched.

A hotly debated fourteenth proposal, known to many as the “gainful employment” regulation is still pending and expected to be resolved in early 2011. The “gainful employment” regulation would force for-profit colleges and others that offer non-degree vocational programs to meet new standards related to student debt to qualify for federal aid.

A list was released Wednesday of forty groups and institutions that had either met or will meet with the U.S. Department of Education in the coming weeks to discuss their comments on the gainful employment metrics.

In the works for over a year, the thirteen regulations were circulated among lawmakers yesterday. The rules will take effect July 1, 2011.