Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 10 - Issue 27

This Week In Washington

The Department of Education's (ED) Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee issued a final rule to reform the higher education accreditation system. The final rule intends to improve affordability in higher education by prioritizing student outcomes, reducing regulatory burdens, promoting intellectual diversity, and enhancing competition among accrediting agencies. ED did not make any substantive changes to the final rule, retaining the text agreed upon by the AIM Committee and proposed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

News You Can Use

The Congressional Research Service released a report highlighting rising delinquency and default rates among borrowers with ED-held federal student loans. The report raises concerns that borrowers placed in forbearance under the SAVE plan may face increased delinquency or default risks if they fail to select another income-driven plan and are placed in a standard repayment plan.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators has updated its Higher Education Act recommendations and priorities to address the significant changes made through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to better support financial aid administrators and students.

The Hildreth Institute published a series of new reports showing how living costs may vary widely across cost of attendance (COA) calculations. These inconsistencies create barriers to students fully accessing their options, and the report outlines ongoing efforts to standardize the calculation of living expenses to improve COA estimates.

Recent Legislation

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