Higher Ed Policy Roundup: Vol. 9 - Issue 1

On Monday, the Office of Federal Student Aid published a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) providing guidance to institutions awarding financial aid to students with defaulted loans. The DCL reminds institutions that “they were permitted to award Title IV aid to a student who would otherwise be ineligible due to a prior default only during the Fresh Start eligibility period.” Recall that Fresh Start was a temporary initiative established during the pandemic to help students with defaulted student loans come out of default. The initiative came to an end on October 2, 2024. The DCL further clarifies that Title IV aid may not be awarded under the Fresh Start initiative for a loan period or payment period that began after the Fresh Start end date.

The Congressional Research Service published a report on the executive actions of the Biden-Harris Administration that modified the scope, rationale, and process of federal student loan programs, resulting in changes to the cost of outstanding federal student loans.

Midway through the fall 2025 law school admissions season, the Law School Admission Council reported a 24.2% increase in applicants compared to last year.

The Institute of Education Services released new data in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System on fall 2023 postsecondary enrollment.

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