Washington Update

Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues:

This week, the NAICU leadership – our board of directors and leadership committees, the National Association of Independent College and University State Executives, our Secretariat, and Legal Services Review Panel – all met in Washington for our annual Fall Leadership Conference.  During these meetings, we are updated on the key federal higher education policy and regulatory issues and work to set a course for addressing the most pressing concerns and identifying advocacy strategies for ensuring our voices are included in these key policy debates.

While the sheer number of challenges we are facing as a sector may seem daunting, I am energized by the commitment of the NAICU membership and our collective focus and determination to tackle the issues before us in a way that serves our students and our missions. 

Throughout the week we have dug deeply into the various policy proposals before us and how we should best position our collective interests.  We also heard reports from our membership on how various actions by the federal government and the courts are affecting campus communities.

As has been consistent throughout the past year, the FAFSA debacle continues to be the top issue.  In that regard, we spent more than an hour with Jeremy Singer, FAFSA Executive Advisor at the Department of Education, on his efforts to ensure the 2025-26 FAFSA is launched on time, functions properly, and does not experience the same issues as the 2024-25 FAFSA.  In particular, he drilled down on the BETA testing the Department is undertaking and why he thinks this will ensure a smoother process this year. 

The Department launched the start of its second phase of BETA testing on Tuesday, and Singer is optimistic that, like phase one, this round will also go smoothly (see our story below for more details about the first two phases of testing).

Other issues discussed by our committees this week include the challenges emanating from the slew of new federal regulations imposed on institutions on July 1, new challenges some institutions are facing with Program Participation agreements, the continuing concerns about the new overtime rules, the risks to institutional survivability with various federal risk-sharing proposals on student loans, and the continuing costs of the overall regulatory burden.

I always come away from these conversations so grateful for the engagement and wisdom of the NAICU membership.  NAICU could not be effective advocates in Washington, DC without the work of our members and the willingness of all institutions, despite our varying missions, to stand up for the importance of the entire sector. 

Regards,

Barbara

Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A.
President, NAICU

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