Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 10 - Issue 25

This Week In Washington

The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) held its latest public meeting this week. The panel evaluated applications for renewal of recognition and compliance reports for various accrediting agencies, including the American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. After seven hours of contentious discussion and debate on Wednesday, as well as several votes, NACIQI members could not come to consensus on a recommendation regarding the Council’s status as a federal accreditor. At issue was whether the Council is sufficiently “separate and independent” from ABA and how they handled Standard 206 after the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions. On Thursday morning, the committee agreed to not send a recommendation to the Department of Education (ED) due to their continued gridlock. The Under Secretary of Education now has 90 days to make a decision on the Council’s recognition as a federal accreditor.

On Wednesday, ED published a notice seeking emergency approval for a revision to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) Certification and Application Form. Due to a June 30 court order, ED is removing a requirement that employers must attest that they have not engaged in activities with “substantial illegal purposes.” The attestation was initially added to implement ED’s October 2025 final rule revising PSLF eligibility. Removing the attestation to the PSLF form ensures compliance with the ruling. Comments on the revised information are due by October 22.

The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) also officially launched the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), just a week before the October 1 deadline.

News You Can Use

Trellis Strategies published The Revolving Door of Credit: College Students’ Credit Card Use and Behavior which highlights the relationships between credit card repayment behavior and students’ financial experiences. Among students who did not pay their balances in full, 88% reported concerns covering basic monthly expenses and 60% said they had difficulty concentrating on schoolwork due to financial stress.

The deadline for SAVE borrowers to enroll in a new plan is approaching. Despite numerous notifications already sent out, many servicers are still in the process of notifying borrowers they have 90 days to select a new plan.

Inside Higher Ed published an article sharing how new loan limits are impacting students' ability to finish their degrees due to the changes in financial aid administration following recent ED implementation guidance.