The information included in this publication occurred during the time period of March 6, 2026, through March 19, 2026.

Highlights:

• On March 6, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released proposed regulations to implement the new Workforce Pell program included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
• On March 16, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a federal government-wide initiative aimed at investigating alleged misuse of federal funds across benefit programs.
• On March 17, USED and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) jointly announced a new grant competition for the Talent Search Program, the first such competition administered via one of the interagency agreements that the Administration is using to shift functions and funds from USED to other federal agencies. Additionally, USED announced a new interagency agreement (IAA) to transfer key functions and funding of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, bringing the total number of such agreements to ten.
• Update: On March 20, President Trump sent an Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework to Congress. This framework addresses six key objectives: (1) Protecting Children and Empowering Parents; (2) Safeguarding and Strengthening American Communities; (3) Respecting Intellectual Property Rights and Supporting Creators; (4) Preventing Censorship and Protecting Free Speech; (5) Enabling Innovation and Ensuring American AI Dominance; and (6) Educating Americans and Developing an AI-Ready Workforce. As the framework was released after this publication was finalized, a deeper look at the framework will be included in a future publication.

Administration

White House:

Executive Order establishes a task force to eliminate fraud: On March 16, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a federal government-wide initiative aimed at investigating alleged misuse of federal funds across benefit programs. (An accompanying fact sheet can be found here.) The task force, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, has been directed to develop a national anti-fraud strategy within 90 days, expanding the Administration’s earlier efforts that focused on specific states. The task force’s strategy must include, among other factors, measures to improve eligibility verification, implement pre-payment controls, enhance data-sharing between federal and state entities, disrupt “fraud networks,” and audit benefit programs for compliance. The taskforce will also examine and recommend ways to withhold federal funds from jurisdictions that do not have anti-fraud measures in place that the Administration judges to be “adequate.” The EO also directs the Attorney General to “take appropriate action to promote” lawsuits brought by third parties under the False Claims Act regarding alleged fraud.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issues proposed rule for Reductions in Force: On March 3, the OPM published a proposed rule to modify Reduction in Force (RIF) and related processes across the federal government. The Administration has used RIF proceedings to terminate the employment of more than 300,000 federal workers since taking office, including significant numbers of USED staff. One of the most significant changes in the proposed rule relates to how agencies determine which employees are retained and which are separated during a RIF—the rule would revise the calculations to de-emphasize veteran status and length of service and to make performance ratings the primary factor. When taken alongside recent proposed changes to the federal performance rating system that would limit the number of employees who can receive top ratings, shifting the dominant factor to performance ratings could significantly change who is retained and who is let go during a RIF, including by making the process more subjective.

The proposed regulations would also change “transfer of function” processes that currently allow an employee to move with their position if their work is transferred to a different office within the agency. Other changes included in the proposed regulation would exclude from the protections of the formal RIF processes additional categories of employees, such as employees with less than a year of service, and certain types of actions, such as demoting employees to lower-level positions if the duties of their position have “eroded” over time. These proposed changes to the RIF process are in addition to other recent proposed and final rules from OPM that impact the civil service. Comments on the proposed rule are due by May 4.

U.S. Department of Education:

Department of Education announces new interagency agreement on student loans: On March 19, the USED announced a new interagency agreement (IAA) to transfer key functions and funding to other federal agencies, bringing the total number of such agreements to 10. The “Federal Student Assistance Partnership” between the Department and the Treasury Department aims to dramatically overhaul how federal student aid is administered, including student loans. This IAA was announced despite the enactment of the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations law, which included a number of provisions emphasizing statutory limits on the Administration’s ability to dismantle USED by transferring its funds and functions to other agencies.

The partnership with the Treasury Department is framed as a response to what the Department describes as longstanding mismanagement of a $1.7 trillion loan portfolio, with fewer than 40% of borrowers currently in repayment and nearly a quarter in default. Under the agreement, Treasury will take on operational responsibility for collecting defaulted student loan debt and help support efforts to return borrowers to repayment, leveraging its financial and administrative expertise. According to the Department, Treasury’s role may expand to include support for non-defaulted loans and other functions of the federal student aid system, as permitted by law.

USED proposes regulations implementing Workforce Pell Grants: On March 6, USED released proposed regulations to implement the new Workforce Pell (WFP) program included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Because the negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on regulatory language, the text of the new proposed regulations is consistent with that consensus.

The proposed regulations would, for the first time, allow short-term programs offered by accredited and Title IV eligible institutions to be eligible for Pell Grants (beginning on July 1, 2026). To be eligible, the programs must include between 150–600 clock hours or 8–15 weeks of instruction. The programs must prepare students for jobs that are “high-skill and high-wage” and must confer a recognized credential. They must also have at least a 70% completion rate, a 70% job placement rate, have existed for at least a year, and program graduates must earn wages that exceed 150% of the federal poverty line—with tuition limited to only the difference between the wages and 150% of the federal poverty line.

Although these represent numerous requirements that WFP programs must meet to be eligible for Pell Grants, USED’s consensus regulatory language places nearly all the responsibility for determining eligibility on states. OBBBA requires USED to ensure that several of the metrics are being met. However, as a practical matter, USED will allow the program to be eligible so long as the state certifies it is meeting nearly all the requirements, including the completion rate, job placement rate, credential requirements, transferability and “stackability” of credentials, and that the program prepares students for “high-skill and high-wage” jobs. The only elements of WFP that USED will independently verify are that the earnings of program graduates exceed 150% of the poverty level and that the program’s tuition does not exceed students’ “value-added earnings” (i.e., the amount earned above 150% of the poverty line). As a result, program quality may vary widely across states. It also creates an oversight mismatch: outcomes metrics drive federal eligibility, but the gatekeeping function sits largely with state processes that vary widely in capacity, transparency, and susceptibility by WFP providers’ influence.

Most states—through their governors’ offices and state workforce/labor boards—are currently working to finalize the definitions and details needed to approve programs for eligibility in advance of the July 1 launch. Programs that have already existed for a year will be immediately eligible to apply, though it is not yet clear how many such programs will be ready by July 1 given the state and accreditor approval processes required before applying for eligibility to USED.

Administration launches first USED grant competitions co-administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): On March 17, USED and DOL jointly announced a new grant competition for the Talent Search Program, the first such competition administered via one of the interagency agreements (IAAs) that the Administration is using to shift functions and funds from USED to other federal agencies. (For more on the IAAs, see our analysis, Beyond “The Maximum Extent Permitted By Law”.) One of the Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search “identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education.” It has previously been administered by USED’s Office of Postsecondary Education. The press release emphasizes that the grant competition is part of the Administration’s efforts to “break[] up the Federal education bureaucracy” and notes that other TRIO grant competitions will “follow later this spring and summer.”

USED articulates its anti-DEI positions in letters to accreditation agencies: On March 16, Under Secretary of Education (serving in the capacity of Senior Department Official) Nicholas Kent issued decision letters to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on renewal of recognition. The letters outline the requirements these accreditors must meet to retain full USED recognition as accrediting agencies, including fully rescinding any DEI standards. The letters are accessible here, in the “NACIQI Meeting Date: 10/21/2025” section’s “Senior Department Official / Secretary's Decision Letter” column. The DEI discussions appear on pages 2-6 of MSCHE’s letter and pages 5-9 of APTA’s letter.

Notably, the letters include extended commentary about the Administration’s significant concerns with accrediting agencies’ “standards related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).” Despite acknowledging that both agencies had already suspended enforcement of their DEI standards, USED found there is still more work to be done to remove standards “that violate federal law.” Kent argues that the standards constituted racial discrimination under the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, as well as under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ultimately, Kent approved the renewals pending submission of two additional monitoring reports that demonstrate to USED’s satisfaction that those agencies are not pursuing standards that “violate federal law.”

USED may apply the same anti-DEI arguments to other education policies including future higher education actions, such as the upcoming accreditation rulemaking, ongoing changes to the Administration’s approach to the “Minority-Serving Institution” designation, use of the ACTS admissions data (discussed above), and the design of various discretionary grant competitions. They may also inform future debates over the collection and reporting of disaggregated data, given Kent’s objections to MSCHE (formerly) encouraging its institutions to “reflect deeply and share results on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the context of their mission.” Kent interprets this as a “subliminal message” that the accrediting agency expects its institutions to illegally award benefits on the basis of race (“Of course, to ‘share results’ you must have a result in mind and take concerted action to achieve such results.”).

USED approves additional state ESSA waiver proposals: On February 18, USED approved the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) application for Ed-Flex authority through the 2029-2030 school year. The authority permits LDOE to grant district- or school-level waivers of certain statutory or regulatory requirements related to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 and to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)’s Title I, Parts A, C, and D; Title II, Part A; and Title IV, Part A. There are also several provisions for which the state is not permitted to waive any requirements including, but not limited to, Individual Disabilities with Education Act (IDEA) requirements; ESSA’s standards, assessments, and accountability requirements; distribution of funds to states or to districts; and maintenance of effort requirements. While Ed-Flex authority does not apply to any state-level requirements, the public comment period for LDOE’s related draft ESSA waiver application for state-level flexibilities closed last month.

Additionally, on March 4, the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) approved a new K-12 accountability model, which keeps an A-F grading system for schools, but changes how the scores are derived. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) previously submitted an ESSA waiver request to USED, which among other issues seeks to waive federal accountability requirements in favor of the unified school grading system administered by the SBOE. Last month IDOE asked USED for “a brief and temporary pause” in their review of their waiver request while they “work[ed] through the final touches in our accountability model.” With the model now approved (pending review by the Office of the Attorney General and the Governor’s signature), IDOE may soon resume USED’s waiver review process.

OCR finds school district’s trans-inclusive policies violate Title IX: On March 13, USED announced that its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) completed a Title IX investigation into Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Colorado, concluding that the school district’s policies violate Title IX by permitting students to access facilities and participate in athletics based on their gender identity. OCR’s proposed resolution agreement would, among other things, require JCPS to publicly align its policies with USED’s definition of “sex.” Notably, OCR asserts that JCPS must also agree that this definition “applies irrespective of state law or regulation and the policies of sports governing bodies,” despite explicit protections in these contexts for transgender and nonbinary students under Colorado state law. JCPS has ten days to accept the agreement or risk administrative proceedings by OCR or a referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

California State University sues USED over San Jose State University Title IX investigation: On March 5, the Board of Trustees of the California State University sued USED, after a recent OCR investigation into San Jose State University (SJSU) found that the school’s gender-identity policies related to athletics and access to facilities violate Title IX (see our February 4 Alert for additional information). The incidents OCR examined in its investigation involved the participation of a transgender player on the women’s volleyball team from 2021-2024, before President Trump issued an EO on February 15, 2025 seeking to exclude transgender players. The university contends that SJSU’s policies were consistent with relevant federal legal precedents and the federal guidance in effect at the time the incidents took place.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

Trump Administration names Lizbeth Casco White as Director of Office of Head Start: Lizbeth Casco White recently joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the new Director of the Office of Head Start. She most recently served as the Deputy Secretary of Labor in Virginia under Governor Youngkin. Casco White previously worked in Washington, D.C., implementing Head Start standards in centers and family child care homes.

Congress

Congressional Democratic education leaders release report on impact of Trump Administration’s dismantling of USED on student loan borrowers: On March 11, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) released a report they commissioned from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the extent to which recent staffing reductions at USED have affected how the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) carries out its responsibilities to oversee loan servicers. The GAO specifically studied the impact of USED’s February 2025 decision to stop assessing the five student loan servicers on accuracy of records and service via phone call quality. The report noted that even “prior to FSA discontinuing this oversight, most servicers did not meet the performance standards for accuracy,” and thus, removing the insight leads to a lack of “assurance that borrower records are correct and that servicers are giving borrowers quality information.” The GAO recommended that USED resume the student loan servicer assessments, to which USED disagreed and stated that “a variety of other methods” assessed servicer performance. The GAO reasserted that USED’s methods are not effective and maintained its recommendation to resume the assessments.

Senate:

Senate HELP Committee holds “Member Day” hearing to discuss priorities: On March 19, 2026, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a “Member Day” hearing, designed to give committee members an opportunity to present and advocate for legislative proposals and priorities within the committee’s jurisdiction. Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) framed the hearing as part of an effort to move legislation forward, emphasizing that members of Congress should use the forum to highlight solutions that can “realistically” advance through the committee. His remarks focused on accountability, improving federal programs, and ensuring that policies, particularly in health care and education, deliver measurable benefits.

Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) underscored Democratic priorities, particularly the need for stronger oversight and action on public health and economic issues. Ranking Member Sanders also pressed for hearings to address what he described as dangerous misinformation on vaccines and to ensure federal health policy is guided by science, reflecting his emphasis on protecting public health and working families.

Several Republican members emphasized workforce development, education reform, and oversight of federal spending. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) focused on expanding school choice and workforce training pathways, while Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) spoke about modernizing workforce programs and reducing regulatory barriers to employment.  Other Republican Senators prioritized cracking down on misuse of federal funds, including child care funding, and improving accountability in education and health systems.

On the Democratic side, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke about the need for increased federal investment in education and student aid, along with protections for students and families, while Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) focused on lowering health care and prescription drug costs and strengthening worker protections. Other Democrats on the committee highlighted issues such as paid leave, public health infrastructure, and college affordability.

The hearing showcased a wide spectrum of committee priorities: with Republicans generally calling attention to accountability and workforce issues, and Democrats emphasizing affordability, access, and worker and public health protections.

House:

House Education and Workforce Committee advances legislation related to reading instruction and student loan programs: On March 17, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup, which included the consideration of several bills related to education. While three of the education bills were passed by the committee along party-lines, notably, H.R. 7890, the Science of Reading Act, and H.R. 7891, the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act, both advanced with unanimous support.

In his remarks, Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) asserted that the series of bills being considered by the committee would strengthen federal oversight, improve student outcomes by promoting evidence‑based reading instruction and streamlining FAFSA processes, and protect taxpayers by combating fraud and ensuring accountability in student aid programs. Chair Walberg framed certain legislative measures, including H.R. 7891, Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act, and H.R. 7892, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act, as important steps to protect federal resources and confidence in the student aid system.

Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) proposed several amendments during the markup, which he framed as ensuring that efforts to streamline Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification and prevent student aid fraud did not weaken oversight, reduce safeguards, or create unintended barriers for underrepresented and low-income students. While expressing support for preventing improper disbursement of federal aid, he stressed that any reforms must preserve strong verification standards and maintain transparency. Ranking Member Scott emphasized that Congress should not “trade accountability for efficiency,” warning that overly rigid or poorly designed changes could disproportionately impact vulnerable students and limit access to aid. Ranking Member Scott’s proposed amendments were not adopted.

The following bills were advanced during the markup:

• H.R. 7894, the Truman Scholarship Clean House Act, introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R‑NY), restructures the leadership and selection process of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. According to Chairman Walberg’s statement, the bill aims to eliminate political bias in awarding the Truman Scholarships by reforming governance and implementing new accountability safeguards. After voting against Democratic amendments, the committee adopted the bill by a party-line vote of 19-13.
• H.R. 7661, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, introduced by Rep. Mary Miller (R‑IL), prohibits the use of federal funds for sexually explicit material in schools and reinforces protections for children in educational settings. The legislation drew debate on the appropriate role of federal funding in support of school content prior to passing the committee by a party-line vote of 18-13.
• H.R. 7890, the Science of Reading Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Erin Houchin (R‑IN), focuses on reading instruction by promoting evidence‑based literacy methods. The bill was unanimously approved by a vote of 33-0.
• H.R. 7892, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens (R‑UT), addresses fraud in federal student aid programs by requiring identity verification systems to prevent aid from being disbursed to fictitious or fraudulently enrolled students. The Committee adopted the bill by a vote of 30-3, reflecting concern over taxpayer dollars lost to fraud.
• H.R. 7891, the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R‑PA), enhances federal oversight of institutions that disburse federal student aid, prioritizing reviews of campuses linked to suspected fraud. This bill was unanimously approved by a vote of 33-0.
• H.R. 7893, the FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act, introduced by Chairman Walberg (R-MI), aims to streamline the FAFSA verification process, which the Chairman expressed would reduce administrative burden while maintaining integrity safeguards in student aid delivery. Democratic members expressed concern that streamlining must not come at the expense of integrity safeguards and oversight, especially given ongoing issues with financial aid accuracy and fraud. Several Democrat members felt that additional consumer protections or transparency measures should have been included in the bill. After voting against Democratic amendments, the bill was advanced by a vote of 19-13.

Throughout the markup, Republican members framed the bills as advancing protections for students and taxpayers, promoting evidence‑based education, and increasing accountability. Conversely, Democratic members expressed concerns about the impact on federal oversight, educational content, and student aid access.

House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government holds a hearing on Immigration Policy: On March 18, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing titled, “Immigration Policy by Court Order: The Adverse Effects of Plyler v. Doe.” The subcommittee heard from the following witnesses: Matt O'Brien, Deputy Executive Director at the Federation for Immigration Reform; Mandy Drogin, Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Government Reform & Oversight Coalition; James Rogers, Senior Counselor at America First Legal Foundation; and Thomas A. Saenz, President & General Counsel at Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

In opening remarks, Subcommittee Chair Chip Roy (R-TX) spoke about the origin of the Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court ruling, which requires every state to provide free public education to undocumented students. Chair Roy expressed disagreement with the Court’s decision and its constitutional merit, asserting that undocumented students “place a burden” on the school systems in Texas. Chair Roy concluded by calling for support H.R. 6225, Pausing on Admissions Until Security Ensured Act of 2025, which he sponsored and would freeze immigration “until the federal government fixes long-standing illegal immigration problems.”

Subcommittee Ranking Member Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) also spoke about the origins of the U.S. Supreme Court decision and called attention to the Court’s finding that Texas’s economic argument against the education of undocumented students was unconvincing and that turning away undocumented children from public school would not address the issue of undocumented immigrants coming into the country. Ranking Member Scanlon continued referencing studies that show the positive economic impact of immigration, as well as data showing the positive impacts to providing public education to immigrant students, undocumented or documented. Ranking Member Scanlon also asserted that Plyler beneficiaries have paid $633 billion more in state and local taxes compared to the cost of their public education and criticized the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress for cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Full Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) also spoke to the Plyler decision, stating that the Supreme Court “affirmed that public education is a constitutional commitment in America for all children,” as well as highlighting analyses that show the positive economic impact the decision has had. Additionally, Ranking Member Raskin criticized the Administration’s immigration activities, citing the negative effects it has had on classroom attendance and test scores, as well as how it has led to fears of racial profiling. Ranking Member Raskin also called attention to the Administration's dismantling of USED and its negative impacts on students.

During the hearing, witness Mandy Drogin called for Congress to pass legislation allowing states to collect immigration status -- both legal and illegal -- to verify the economic impacts of including students of all immigration statuses in public education. Witness James Rogers stated that Congress can accelerate the reconsideration of the Plyler case by authorizing states to condition K-12 public education enrollment on residency, using “lawful presence” as a new definition.

U.S. Courts

Federal court temporarily pauses college admissions data collection: On March 13, a federal court in Massachusetts extended the deadline for institutions of higher education (IHEs) to submit newly required admissions data to USED as part of the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey component of the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS) data collection. The temporary restraining order delayed the data submission deadline set by USED from March 18 to March 25 to provide the court time to consider a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 17 state attorneys general. The states argue that USED’s new data submission requirements violate the Administrative Procedure Act in multiple ways, object to the “scope, breadth, and rushed process of implementing” the new requirements, and warn that IHEs will be subject to “costly investigations based on unreliable data” given the Administration’s stated goal to use the data to investigate IHEs’ compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA v. Harvard. (See our August 21, 2025 Alert for more information about the ACTS data collection. For more on challenges with the ACTS survey’s design and implementation, see this Institute for Higher Education Policy blog post.)

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On March 24 and 25, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) will hold a meeting to elect a committee vice chairperson and conduct a review of applications for renewal of recognition submitted by six accrediting agencies and compliance reports submitted by four accrediting agencies. More information is here.
• On March 25 at 10:00 a.m., the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a markup of several bills, including H.R. 5334, the Supporting Early-childhood Educators’ Deduction (SEED) Act of 2025, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense deduction, and for other purposes. The markup will be held in 1100 Longworth House Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On March 26 at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Don't Fumble Their Future: Positioning Student-Athletes for Success in School and Beyond.” Witnesses include: Collis Temple Jr., Entrepreneur, LSU Board of Supervisors; Trayvean Scott, Ph.D,; Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, Grambling State University; Abby Lynch, Former Soccer Player and Track Athlete, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Mikayla Pivec, Organizing Director, United College Athletes Association (UCAA); and Liam Anderson, Players Council Member, National College Players Association, Former College Athlete, Stanford University. The hearing will be held in 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On March 26 at 10:15 a.m., the House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled, "U.S. Universities Under Siege: Foreign Espionage, Stolen Innovation, and the National Security Threat." Witnesses include: Dr. Domenico Grasso, Interim President, University of Michigan; Ms. Cassandra Farley, Senior Director, Research Integrity, Security & Compliance, University of Florida; Ms. Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Team, Government Accountability Office; and Ms. Elsa Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, Stanford Review, Stanford. The hearing will be held in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On March 26 at 10:30 a.m., the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Advancing Permanency in Child Welfare: Leveraging Federal Funding for Adoption Programs.” Witnesses include: Kate McLean, Executive Director, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute; Sarah Font, Ph.D., Professor, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis; Aurene Martin, Board Secretary, National Indian Child Welfare Association; and Debbie Riley, CEO, Center for Adoption Support and Education. The hearing will be held in 2358-C Rayburn House Office Building and be livestreamed here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On March 24 at 3:00 p.m., the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and Alliance for Youth Thriving will host a webinar titled, “Leveraging the Federal Education Tax Credit: Identifying & Preparing SGOs.” Experts across education, youth development, philanthropy, and intermediary networks will examine why scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) are central to the effective implementation of the federal tax credit program and what it takes to prepare for this role. Participants will gain a practical look at how one state with several active SGOs is navigating the landscape and what it would take to expand allowable uses of funds to meet broader student and community needs. Panelists include: Donna Cooper, Children First PA; Jackie Guglielmo, ACE Scholarships; Chris Smith, Boston Afterschool and Beyond; Mike Taylor, National Association of Education Foundations; and Brent Wake, Indiana Afterschool Network. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On February 10, New America released a report titled, “The Subprime PLUS Loan Crisis: How Dozens of Universities Steer Low-Income Families to Debt They Can't Afford.” The report explores the view that Parent PLUS program was created to help middle- and upper-middle-income families afford to send their children to expensive private colleges, while examining the use of the program by lower-income families to cover the remaining cost of college tuition after students receive financial aid. Additionally, the report highlights higher education institutions which it asserts are encouraging lower-income families to take on Parent PLUS loans, arguing there is a financial risk as many of these families cannot afford to take on these loans.
• On March 10, American Federation of Teachers and the Albert Shanker Institute released a report titled, “The Adequacy and Fairness of State School Finance Systems.” Studying federal data through the 2022-2023 school year, the report showed that 42 states devote a smaller share of their economies to K-12 schools than they did before the 2007 recession, describing the decrease as a “permanent disinvestment in public education.” The report makes several policy recommendations to state education systems, including: better targeting of funding to meet district needs; increasing funding to meet student needs; and distributing federal K-12 aid based on effort and capacity and need. Additionally, the report recommended that USED mandate more comprehensive K-12 finance data collection.
• On March 16, EdTrust released a report titled, “Understanding the Implementation of Universal FAFSA Completion Policies in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana.” The report analyzes how universal FAFSA policies are being implemented in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana, to identify the supports schools need to help students meet graduation requirements and access financial aid. The analysis names the following as recommended supports: providing dedicated funding for equitable implementation of universal FAFSA policies; including opt-out waivers for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA; adopting complementary policies promoting college attendance; developing data dashboard to help school personnel track FAFSA completion; and establishing accountability systems emphasizing support and continuous improvement.