dotEDU: Higher Education Policy Explained

Congressional appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, new proposals on international students and visas, accreditation, and colleges' tax-exempt status are all on the agenda as Congress returns to Washington for a short stretch before the midterms.

Hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Jon Fansmith, and Sarah Spreitzer break down what happened during the August recess and what to expect leading up to the election on the season opener of dotEDU.​

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

Secretary McMahon's Call to Action

Secretary McMahon's Call to Action Department of Education Issues National Call to Action for CampusesACE | August 10, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Issues-National-Call-to-Action-for-Campuses.aspx

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Commit to Education OverhaulPolitico | August 3, 2026https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/03/trump-admin-asks-colleges-to-sign-on-to-their-priorities-01022271

McMahon Sends Reform 'Questionnaire' to Colleges​ Inside Higher Ed | August 3, 2026https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2026/08/03/mcmahon-sends-reform-questionnaire-colleges

Appropriations & Federal Agencies

White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants The New York Times | September 20, 2026 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/science/nih-omb-grants-bhattacharya-vought.html

Researchers Accuse NIH of Viewpoint Discrimination in New Class Action Lawsuit Inside Higher Ed | September 18, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/09/18/researchers-accuse-nih-viewpoint-discrimination

ED, NSF Move to Implement Elements of Pending OMB Grant Proposal​ ACE | August 27, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-NSF-Move-to-Implement-Uniform-Guidance.aspx

International Updates

International Students Face More New Hurdles This Year​ ACE | September 10, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/International-Students-Face-New-Immigration-Hurdles-This-Year-.aspx

Judge blocks DHS rule limiting foreign students to four-year stays The Washington Post | September 14, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/09/14/judge-blocks-dhs-rule-limiting-foreign-students-four-year-stays/

Colleges Dodge Trump's $103K H-1B Visa Fee Politico | August 24, 2026 https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/08/colleges-dodge-trumps-103k-h-1b-visa-fee-01048239?site=pro&prod=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=article&source=email

Accreditation

ACE Comments on Proposed Accreditation Rule ACE | September 16, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-ED-Draft-Rule-Accreditation-091726.pdf

Will Trump's Accreditation Revamp Force Campus Changes? Inside Higher Ed | September 16, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/accreditation/2026/09/16/will-trumps-accreditation-revamp-force-campus-changes

Quick Hits – Tax-Exempt Status, Section 117, & Athletics

IRS Proposes Rules to Strip Tax Exemptions From Colleges Using Race in Policies The Wall Street Journal | September 3, 2026 https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/irs-proposes-rules-to-strip-tax-exemptions-from-colleges-using-race-in-policies-774a32af?mod=education_news_article_pos1

Trump Administration Aims to Strip Schools' Tax Exemption if They Consider Race The Washington Post | September 3, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/09/03/trump-administration-aims-strip-schools-tax-exemption-if-they-consider-race/

Letter to the Editor | The Debate Over Foreign Money in Higher Education The Wall Street Journal | September 7, 2026 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-debate-over-foreign-money-in-higher-education-b4923e88?mod=letterstoeditor_article_pos2

College Sports Bill Moves Forward in Senate with Democratic Support Politico | September 15, 2026 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/15/congress/college-sports-bill-advances-01078084

Republican Bill Aims to Cap Numbers of International Student Athletes​ Inside Higher Ed | September 15, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/09/15/gop-bill-aims-cap-international-student-athletes

Higher education is looking ahead to a busy fall, with midterm elections shaping the political landscape, an unfinished government funding process for FY 2027, and a wave of proposed rules working their way through various federal agencies. In the last eipsode of Season 7, the dotEDU hosts break down what campuses should expect in the months ahead.

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) higher education provisions are effective July 1, and financial aid offices are on the front lines of putting them into practice.

Melanie Storey, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, joins hosts Mushtaq Gunja and Jon Fansmith to talk about the implementation challenges, from new program-level accountability requirements to the practical questions about student aid that campuses are working through.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

"Uniform Guidance" Grantmaking Rule

Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance​ Federal Register | May 28, 2026​​ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance

Summary: Office of M​anagement and Budget Government-Wide Regulations for Federal Financial Assistance ACE | June 16, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Summary-OMB-Federal-Financial-Assistance-Regs-060226.pdf

Sen. Collins Asks OMB to Withdraw Parts of Grant Rule, Extend Comment Period​ U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations | July 6, 2026 https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/sen-collins-asks-omb-to-withdraw-parts-of-grant-rule-extend-comment-period

Comments Flood OMB Proposal to Cement Political Control of Grants Inside Higher Ed | July 7, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/07/07/comments-flood-omb-proposal-political-control

"Professional" Degree & Graduate Loan Limits Rule

Nursing Gains 'Professional' Label for Student Loans After Judge's Ruling, But Theology Now Dropped The Associated Press | June 29, 2026 https://apnews.com/article/nursing-student-loans-professional-caps-theology-061ef7c1a98688e5338ff5128821a7b9

Professional Degree Definition Remains Contested as Student Loan Changes Take Effect July 1 ACE | June 29, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/New-ED-Rules-in-Effect-July-1.aspx

Accountability Rule (Earnings Test)

U.S. Department of Education Issues Final Rule to Hold All Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low-Earning Programs Department of Education | June 29, 2026 https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-final-rule-hold-all-colleges-and-universities-accountable-low-earning-programs

Financial Aid Shift to Hit Low-Wage Fields Like Religion, Cosmetology and Arts The Washington Post | June 30, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/30/bible-beauty-performing-arts-schools-face-cuts-financial-aid/

Comments on Education Department's Proposed Rule on Accountability ACE | May 20, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-AHEAD-Accountability-NPRM-052026.pdf

OBBB Student Loan Changes

July 1 Brings Big Student Loan Changes. Here's What You Need to Know NPR | June 30, 2026 https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5835633/student-loans-guide-education-changes-repayment-plan

Comments on the Education Department's Implementation of OBBB Financial Aid Provisions​ ACE | March 2, 2026 Public Service Loan Forgiveness https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-ED-RISE-030226.pdf

Judges Strike Down Trump's Restrictions on Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants The Washington Post | June 30, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/30/court-strikes-down-trumps-limits-loan-forgiveness-public-servants/

Dear Colleague Letter on Housing

Dear Colleague Letter​​ HUD | June 23, 2026 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28317431-06232026-as-trainors-dcl-on-racially-segregated-school-housing87/

Dear Colleague Letter Asks Colleges to End Affinity Housing​ Inside Higher Ed | June 26, 2026 Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Athletes https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2026/06/26/dear-colleague-letter-asks-colleges-end-affinity-housing

Supreme Court Decision on Transgender Athletes

Supreme Court Allows States to Bar Transgender Athletes From Girls' Sports The New York Times | June 30, 2026n https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/us/politics/supreme-court-transgender-athletes.html

The Department of Education is shifting civil rights investigations to the Department of Justice, a move that undermines the resolution-focused approach to resolving complaints that has supported students and campuses for decades.

The dotEDU team breaks down what this latest move to dismantle ED means for higher ed, along with the latest updates on the House FY 2027 spending bill, changes to the rules for how federal grants are awarded, and more.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Partnerships to Strengthen Coordination for Individuals with Disabilities Programs, Bolster Civil Rights Enforcement https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-additional-partnerships-strengthen-coordination-individuals-disabilities-programs-bolster-civil-rights

Education Dept. Plans to Move Special Ed and Civil Rights Out of the Agency The Washington Post | June 16, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/16/education-dept-plans-move-special-ed-civil-rights-out-agency/

Committee Approves FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-approves-fy27-labor-health-and-human-services-and-education

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2027​ https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fy27-labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies-bill-subcommittee-summary.pdf

Higher Education Faces New Spending Limits as House Appropriations Bill Advances ACE | June 15, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/House-Committee-Passes-FY27-Labor-HHS-Bill.aspx

House Republicans Aim to Override Trump's Loan Limit Regulations Inside Higher Ed | June 12, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2026/06/12/house-gop-tries-override-trumps-loan-limit

Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance Federal Register https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance

Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Regulations for Federal Financial Assistance ACE | June 2, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Summary-OMB-Federal-Financial-Assistance-Regs-060226.pdf

Judge Blocks USCIS Pause, but International Students Remain in Limbo​ Inside Higher Ed | June 16, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2026/06/16/intl-students-still-limbo-even-uscis-pause-over

Remember the Dreamers https://www.rememberthedreamers.org/

The hosts talk live to an audience of ACE Fellows about the White House's new proposal to rewrite the rulebook that governs how campuses manage federal grant funds, along with other higher education policy developments we're watching this summer.

Here are some of the links mentioned in this week's show:

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Department of Education https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/manage-your-grant/uniform-administrative-requirements-cost-principles-and-audit-requirements-for-federal-awards-us-department-of-education

Office of Management and Budget Proposed Rule on Uniform Guidance Federal Register | May 29, 2026 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance

White House Aims to Establish Political Oversight of Federal Grants Inside Higher Ed | May 29, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/05/29/omb-proposes-rules-establishing-political

Negotiators Pass Draft Rules to Overhaul College Accreditation ACE | May 22, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Draft-Rules-Passed-to-Overhaul-Accreditation-.aspx

Yale University's Committee on Trust in Higher Education spent a year examining the forces behind declining public confidence in colleges and universities and came back with 20 recommendations for how institutions can respond. Julia Adams, cochair of the committee, walks us through the findings and what they might mean for campuses nationwide.

Here are links to the the report and the policy issues the hosts discuss:

Report of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher Education (PDF) https://president.yale.edu/sites/default/files/2026-04/Report-of-the-Committee-on-Trust-in-Higher-Education.pdf

Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/01/2026-08556/reimagining-and-improving-student-education-federal-student-loan-program-final-regulations

The Rule That's Blocking the Next Generation of Health Care Workers Higher Education Today | May 12, 2026 https://www.higheredtoday.org/2026/05/11/the-rule-thats-blocking-healthcare-workers/

Education Department's Final Rule on Financial Aid Locks in Restrictive Graduate Loan Limits https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Final-Rule-Locks-in-Restrictive-Grad-Loan-Limits-.aspx

Contact Congress: Help Students Access Professional Degree Programs https://www.votervoice.net/ACENET/Campaigns/132758/Respond

Justice Denied: How Trump's Office for Civil Rights Reached a 12-Year Low in Protecting Students from Discrimination https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/04.24.26-Justice-Denied-How-Trumps-Office-for-Civil-Rights-Reached-a-12-Year-Low-in-Protecting-Students-from-Discrimination_FINAL.pdf

Court blocks Education Department's data demands for over 170 more colleges Higher Ed Dive | April 27, 2026 https://www.highereddive.com/news/education-department-acts-survey-preliminary-injunction/818620/

The landscape for federal TRIO programs has shifted dramatically since we talked about it in January. The Department of Education (ED) has issued new grant proposals that would cut the number of programs by more than half and fundamentally redirect TRIO away from its mission of college access.

We welcomed back Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, to walk us through what's at stake for these programs and the students they serve. The hosts also give the latest updates on ED's negotiated rulemaking.

Links:

U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule to Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low Earning Outcomes https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-proposed-rule-hold-colleges-and-universities-accountable-low-earning-outcomes

ED Pushes Ahead on Accreditation Overhaul Despite Negotiator Pushback https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Pushes-Ahead-on-Accreditation-Overhaul.aspx

Accreditation discussion draft https://www.ed.gov/media/document/2026-negotiated-rulemaking-aim-aim-draft-regulations-version-11-updated-04172026-113722.pdf

Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Foreign Gifts and Contracts Disclosures Federal Register | April 15, 2026 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/15/2026-07304/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-foreign-gifts-and-contracts-disclosures

What drove Hampshire College to shutter, despite raising $55 million The Christian Science Monitor | April 18, 2026 https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2026/0418/hampshire-college-closure-endowment

Council for Opportunity in Education and TRIO Programs https://coenet.org/coe-and-trio-programs/

COE Trio Advocacy https://coenet.org/take-action-now/

The Council for Opportunity in Education Condemns Latest TRIO Grant Proposal, Calls It "Direct Assault on College Access" https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/the-council-for-opportunity-in-education-condemns-latest-trio-grant-proposal-calls-it-direct-assault-on-college-access/

COE Blasts Latest Federal Proposal for TRIO, Calls for Immediate Rescission https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/coe-blasts-latest-federal-proposal-for-trio-calls-for-immediate-rescission/

COE Rejects Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs in FY 2027 Budget Council for Opportunity in Education | https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/coe-rejects-proposal-to-eliminate-federal-trio-programs-in-fy-2027-budget/

Colleges have spent years building systems to help students vote. Now a mix of federal guidance, investigations, and state-level changes is putting new pressure on that work. ACE General Counsel Peter McDonough joins us to explain where the legal lines are and where uncertainty is creating risk. But first, the hosts discuss the recent higher education policy developments from the past few weeks, from the Trump administration's FY 2027 budget proposal to the Education Department's draft rule on accreditation.

The hosts are joined by ACE's Emmanual Guillory to break down key federal rulemaking shaping student aid. The conversation focuses on the latest developments in graduate loan limits, new rules for Workforce Pell and what it will take for institutions to participate, and the Department of Education's expanded IPEDS data collection.

At ACEx2026 in Washington, DC, the dotEDU team recorded a special live episode during a session at the ACE Annual Meeting. Instead of the usual format, hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Sarah Spreitzer, and Jon Fansmith took turns posing questions to each other about the direction of federal higher education policy in 2026: how it may differ from the first year of President Trump's second term, what the year's major policy stories could be, where their lobbying efforts have and have not gained traction, and how to advocate effectively for colleges and universities in a contentious environment. The episode concludes with questions from the audience.