Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 8 - Issue 39

On Wednesday, President Biden signed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Deadline Act into law, requiring that the Education Department (ED) make the FAFSA available to the public every year by October 1. Recall that in November Congress passed the bipartisan measure that was brought on by the rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA, which was plagued with delays stemming from implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act. Previously, ED had until January 1 to make the form available, although the form was usually released on October 1.

According to the Law School Admission Council, as of December 11, 2024, the percentage of law school applicants has increased by 25.6% compared to last year.

A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts reveals that Black and Hispanic student loan borrowers experience disproportionate repayment challenges compared to their White peers.

There were no relevant student-aid related bills recently introduced for consideration by the 118th Congress (2023-24).