Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 10 - Issue 11

This Week In Washington

On Monday, the Education Department (ED) released the draft regulations of its proposed overhaul of the college oversight system. The Trump Administration has sought to reshape the accreditation field, and in the draft regulations, ED is aiming to make it easier for schools to switch accreditors, streamline recognition processes, and eliminate diversity initiatives. Next week, the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization committee and ED will participate in negotiated rulemaking on this proposal.

Late last week, the Trump Administration shared their budget request for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) with Congress. The proposal would provide $76.5 billion for ED, a 2.9% reduction from the FY26 enacted level. The budget advances the Administration’s current efforts to dismantle the federal education bureaucracy, including continuing to reduce ED’s staff and transfer programs to other agencies. The proposal would make the following changes:

ED Staffing Levels: ED would support about 1,909 full-time employees, a 1,635-person reduction in staff compared to FY25. With this, the budget for salaries and expenses would experience a $381.6 million decrease compared to FY25.
Federal Student Aid (FSA): Despite an increase in responsibility due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) implementation, FSA will not receive an increase in funding compared to FY25 levels. FSA will receive $2.1 billion for Student Aid Administration.
Child Care Programs Eliminated: The $75 million Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS) would be eliminated.

The next step in the budget process will be for the House and Senate to pass a budget resolution setting the spending and revenue limits they will use during the annual appropriations process.

Recently, ED announced next steps for borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, following a court-approved settlement that ends the program. ED has started outreach to borrowers, sharing that once they are notified by their loan servicer, they will have 90 days to enroll in a new repayment plan option. Those who do not select a plan will be automatically enrolled in the Standard Repayment Plan or a new Tiered Standard Plan.

News You Can Use

The Brookings Institution published Graduate Degrees Pay – But It’s Complicated, a study which examines the financial return of advanced degrees. Findings show that law and medicine have strong financial returns, while other fields of study have more inconsistent earnings gains among graduates.

Research published by the Council of Licensure, Enforcement & Regulation indicates a significant increase in law school graduates receiving extended time on the bar exam, with roughly 12-16% of test takers across several states granted on the bar exam.