Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues,

This week brought a flurry of activity related to the new IPEDS ACTS survey. On Tuesday, a Massachusetts federal court delayed the submission deadline to at least April 6 for a limited group of public institutions in the 17 plaintiff states. Unfortunately, private colleges nationwide—and public institutions in the remaining 33 states—were not included, though the Department of Education did extend the deadline to March 31 for all institutions. Institutions may also request an extension to April 8, which the Department has consistently granted.

Additionally, on Wednesday, the Association of American Universities (AAU) filed to intervene on behalf of its membership.  At the time of Washington Update’s publication, it was not known whether the judge would extend the temporary restraining order to any additional institutions in response to AAU’s suit. (See story for more details.)

While the additional time is helpful, the underlying concerns remain. We are actively exploring all available legal and policy options and remain in close contact with counsel, partner organizations, and the Department to seek clarity and appropriate relief.

In our visits with members and state associations, the NAICU team is hearing clear concern about the fast-approaching July 1 implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. To support institutions in preparing for this deadline and staying ahead of other emerging issues affecting independent higher education, we are offering a series of webinars for you and your campus team.

Our first webinar [register], which takes a deep dive on the evolving landscape of Workforce Pell, will be this afternoon from 2:00-3:00 EDT.  See below for more details on the webinar series.  We are currently working on several other webinars and will provide those details as they are confirmed.

In news from Capitol Hill, as Congress awaits the president’s budget proposal, Senators can now submit requests related to programmatic funding, congressionally directed spending (earmarks), and legislative language to the Committee on Appropriations. The deadline for the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee is April 21. If you have not already done so, please ask your Senators to request “sufficient funding for the current Pell Grant maximum of $7,395,” to ensure the program shortfall is paid for without cuts to the maximum grant or reductions in eligibility. You can use this sample letter to guide your message to your Senators.

Finally, as I mentioned last week, we are keeping a close eye on the upcoming accreditation negotiated rulemaking panel. While the negotiators have not yet been made public, we are aware of who has been named and are working with them to promote the interests of private, nonprofit colleges and universities in the negotiated rulemaking process. Once the negotiators are made public, we will provide that information.

I hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Regards,

Barbara

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

For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A.