Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 10 - Issue 19

This Week In Washington

On Tuesday, the AccessLex Institute^® Policy team hosted its inaugural Advocacy Bootcamp Day on the Hill, bringing four financial aid leaders to Washington, D.C. to meet with their Congress members and share their experiences. Participants engaged with policymakers from California, Ohio, Indiana, and South Carolina to discuss how upcoming loan changes due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may affect law students. They also highlighted concerns on other student-centered issues, including interest rates, origination fees, and overall cost of attendance. We are grateful to our attendees for their time, insights, and thoughtful advocacy on behalf of law students, faculty, and staff!

News You Can Use

The Cato Institute released a briefing highlighting long-term trends in state funding, tuition revenue, and total education revenue at public colleges, using data from the State Higher Education Finance report published by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

Investopedia published an article highlighting how colleges and universities are preparing for the elimination of Graduate PLUS loans for new borrowers. The article reports that financial aid offices are expanding preferred lender lists and increasing outreach to private lenders to help address potential funding gaps for graduate and professional students.

Recent Legislation

There were no relevant student-aid related bills recently introduced for consideration by the 119th Congress (2025-26).