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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 Campuses ACE | 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 Overhaul Politico | August 3, 2026 https://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, 2026 https://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.

The hosts run a rapid-fire policy lightning round on the biggest higher ed issues right now, from federal funding and a looming Pell shortfall to new graduate loan limits. They also dig into two fast-moving flashpoints: the Education Department's scrutiny of a long-running student voting study and the administration's escalating actions aimed at Harvard, including potential impacts on service members' education benefits. Plus, an update on Sarah's favorite topic, Section 117 foreign gift reporting. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Appropriations How Congress's Budget Could Hamper Trump ED Agenda Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 12, 2026 Tufts/NSLVE   National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement U.S. Department of Education Takes Actions to Protect Integrity of U.S. Elections Department of Education | Feb. 5. 2026 Education Dept. Tells Universities Not to Use Student Voting Data Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 5, 2026 dotEDU: Debates, Flies, and Political Engagement at the University of Utah  New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting Brennan Center for Justice | Feb. 9, 2026 Harvard v. Trump  dotEDU: What the Headlines Miss About Higher Ed: A Conversation with Kirk Carapezza  Justice Department Sues Harvard for Admissions Records The New York Times | Feb. 13, 2026 Department of Defense Severs Academic Ties With Harvard Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 10, 2026 Grad Loan Limits Reimagining and Improving Student Education  Federal Register | Jan. 30, 2026 Summary: ​The U.S. Department of Education's Proposal on OBBB RISE Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ACE **Contact Congress to Urge a Broader Professional Degree Definition** Accreditation  U.S. Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking to Reform and Strengthen America's Higher Education Accreditation System Department of Education | Jan. 26, 2026 U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Interpretive Rule to Eliminate the Use of "Regional" by Accrediting Agencies Department of Education | Feb. 13, 2026 Section 117 Section 117 Foreign Gift and Contract Public Transparency Dashboard Department of Education U.S. Department of Education Releases Latest Foreign Funding Disclosures from Federally-Funded American Universities Department of Education | Feb. 11, 2026

The national conversation about higher education shifted dramatically in 2025. In this episode recorded in Boston in December, Jon Fansmith and Mushtaq Gunja talk with GBH News correspondent Kirk Carapezza about the reporting landscape and the pressures facing colleges beyond the headlines.  Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:  Brandeis bets big on rebuilding the liberal arts around real-world skills  GBH | Dec. 2, 2025  Colleges hope to 'AI-proof' their offerings as new tech changes job expectations  GBH | Oct. 29, 2025  Local colleges targeted amid growing campus culture wars   GBH | Sept. 24, 2025  College Uncovered Season 4: The Demographic Cliff   College Uncovered Season 4 Bonus: The New College Compact  College Uncovered Season 2, Episode 4: Closing Time  Amherst College: 1,900 Students, 850 Courses. What's Not To Like?  On Campus | Aug. 3, 2016

Questions about the future of federal TRIO programs—academic and support services for low-income, first-generation, and disabled students—come up more than almost any other topic on the podcast. We're joined this week by Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, for a conversation about where TRIO stands and what may be ahead. We begin with some speculation on whether or not we're heading toward a partial government shutdown, and the latest on the Department of Education's moves on accreditation. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Contact Congress to Urge a Broader Professional Degree Definition 2026 Winter Term Pulse Point Survey (PDF) Appropriations House Passes FY 2026 Spending Package Preserving Education and Research Funding as Senate Showdown Looms  ACE | Jan. 26, 2026 ACE, Higher Ed Groups Urge Congress to Safeguard FY 2026 Education Funding  ACE | Oct. 1, 2025 Letter to Congress on MSI Funding  ACE | Oct. 3, 2025 Legal Updates Education Dept. Drops Appeal of Court Order Blocking Anti-DEI Guidance  Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 22, 2026 Higher Ed Groups Back Harvard in Appeal Challenging Trump Proclamation on International Students  ACE | Jan. 21, 2026 Accreditation U.S. Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking to Reform and Strengthen America's Higher Education Accreditation System  Department of Education | Jan. 26, 2026 ED Eyes Rewrite of Accreditation Rules  Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 27, 2026 Comments on the Education Department's Proposed Revisions to the Accreditation Handbook ACE | Jan. 26, 2026 NACIQI Members Stalemate on Picking New Chair Republic Report (December 2025) TRIO Council for Opportunity in Education and TRIO Programs COE Trio Advocacy Congressional Outreach Packet Federal Court Orders Reconsideration of Canceled TRIO Grants Inside Higher Ed | Jan . 20, 2026 Trump's DEI Crackdown Closes 120 TRIO Programs Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 27, 2025 Trump Administration Delays $660M for College Access Programs  Inside Higher Ed | Sept. 12 2025

Valerie Fuller, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, visited the podcast to talk about how new federal loan limits will change what graduate students can borrow and why nursing may no longer be considered a professional degree. The hosts also looked at the appropriations outlook on Capitol Hill, negotiations on rulemaking to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill, and more. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Graduate Loan Limits Valerie Fuller, president of American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)  Graduate and Professional Student Loan Limits Under the OBBB National Nurse Practitioner Organizations Express Concern Over Department of Education Negotiated Rulemaking Nov. 21, 2025 AANP Advocacy Center Bills Introduced to Address Changes to Graduate Lending Programs  NAICU Washington Update | Dec. 19, 2025 Nurses Continue to Lead in Honesty and Ethics Ratings Gallup | Jan. 12, 2026 Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Statement on the Office of Legal Counsel's Opinion on the Constitutionality of Race-Based Higher Education Grant Programs Negotiated Rulemaking  Negotiated Rulemaking for Higher Education 2025 Department of Education AHEAD Committee's Second Rulemaking Session Results in Consensus on Accountability Framework ACE | Jan. 12, 2026 ED Panel Signs Off on New Earnings Test  Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 9, 2026 Negotiators Reach Consensus on Pell Regulations  ACE | Dec. 15, 2025 Consensus Reached on Workforce Pell, Earnings Test Looms Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 15, 2026

In this final episode of 2025, hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Sarah Spreitzer, and Jon Fansmith spend the hour taking questions on the policy shifts and challenges campuses are watching most closely and the developments expected to matter early in 2026.  Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Lucy Dacus and Hozier, Bullseye  Jason Isbell, Bury Me Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix)