Predicting an Unpredictable Fall for Higher Ed

With the midterms over, what's next for colleges and universities? The dotEDU hosts break down the election results, what to expect from the next Congress, and what it all could mean for your campus in the months ahead.​ Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:​ ​​Democrats Win House and Senate in Rebuke to Trump​ The Associated Press | November 4, 2026  https://apnews.com/hub/elections Dems Take Control of Congress, Pledge to Hold Trump Accountable  Inside Higher Ed  (sub. req.) | November 3, 2026  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2026/11/03/dems-control-congress-pledge-hold-trump-accountable Here's the Latest on Higher Ed and the Midterms  The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | November 3, 2026  https://www.chronicle.com/liveblog/2026-midterm-elections Democrats Vie to Take Back House Education Committee  Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | November 3, 2026  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2026/11/03/democrats-vie-take-back-house-education-committee Congressional Control, State Bonds, Trans Sports Bans: Higher Ed in the Midterms  Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | November 2, 2026  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2026/11/02/whats-stake-higher-ed-midterms What Is Likely to Happen If Democrats Win Back Control of Congress CNN | October 27, 2026  https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/27/politics/democrats-plans-midterms-congress

​​​​Paul LeBlanc, former president of Southern New Hampshire University and author of Reclaiming Purpose: The University in an AI World, joins the conversation to talk about how artificial intelligence could reshape higher education. But first, ​​​with the 2026 midterms just days away, the dotEDU hosts talk about how the results might change the balance of power in Washington and what this could mean for colleges and universities over the next two years. ​Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:​ Reclaiming Purpose: The University in an AI Worldhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H85CSQ9M?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Future-Proofing Higher Education Brandeis Magazine | Winter 2025/2026 https://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2026/winter/featured-stories/future-proofing-higher-education.html How to Pick a College in the Age of AI  Washington Monthly | August 28, 2026 https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/08/28/how-to-pick-a-college-in-the-age-of-ai/ Empowering Educators: Harvard Professor on AI Tools as Effective Tutors October 18, 2026 https://ai.umich.edu/blog-posts/empowering-educators-harvard-professor-on-ai-tools-as-effective-tutors/ TritonAI University of California San Diego https://tritonai.ucsd.edu/

The courts continue to play a major role in shaping higher education policy, with cases involving research funding, admissions standards, and more moving through the legal system. The dotEDU hosts talk through the cases they're watching, what they could mean for colleges and universities, and what other legal challenges may be ahead. But first, they break down what's happening following the recent rescissions package, ongoing immigration and visa investigations, and the Trump administration's return to the 2020 Title IX rule. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: General Topics Higher Ed Groups Ask Congress to Reverse Rescissions Targeting International Education  ACE | October 5, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Higher-Ed-Groups-Urge-Congress-to-Reverse-Rescissions.aspx Trump Administration Proposes a $70,000 Fee for International Students to Work in the US  The Associated Press | October 7, 2026 https://apnews.com/article/opt-dhs-fee-international-students-enrollment-schools-0919dcbc5a61a589e01ec29041a2087e White House Cracks Down on Student Visas at Stanford and Caltech, as well as Tech Work Visas  Los Angeles Times | October 8, 2026 https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-10-08/white-house-cracks-down-on-student-visas-at-stanford-caltech-as-well-as-tech-work-visas DHS Proposes New OPT Fee as International Students Face New Restrictions  ACE | October 8, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/DHS-Proposes-New-OPT-Fee.aspx Employee Question Could Stall Senate College Sports Bill at Midfield in House  Roll Call | October 5, 2026 https://rollcall.com/2026/10/05/employee-question-could-stall-senate-college-sports-bill-at-midfield-in-house/ U.S. Department of Education Formally Rescinds the Biden Administration's Illegal Title IX Rewrite, Reinstating the 2020 Regulation  Education Department | September 28, 2026 ​ https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-formally-rescinds-biden-administrations-illegal-title-ix-rewrite-reinstating-2020-regulation The Legal Landscape A Boston Courtroom is Center Stage as Legal Battle Between Harvard and Trump Moves to Next Round  Boston Globe | October 5, 2026 https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/10/05/metro/harvard-trump-federal-court-appeal/ Researchers Sue NIH Alleging Unconstitutional Grant Screening Process  Higher Ed Dive | September 18, 2026 https://www.highereddive.com/news/researchers-sue-nih-alleging-unconstitutional-grant-screening-process/830834/ Colleges Seek Answers Amid Trump Push to Cancel Tax Exemptions over Diversity Programs  Politico | October 7, 2026 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/07/college-tax-exempt-trump-regulations-01105427

Congressional appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, new proposals on international students and visas, accreditation, and colleges' tax-exempt status are all on the agenda as Congress returns to Washington for a short stretch before the midterms. Hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Jon Fansmith, and Sarah Spreitzer break down what happened during the August recess and what to expect leading up to the election on the season opener of dotEDU.​ Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Secretary McMahon's Call to Action Secretary McMahon's Call to Action Department of Education Issues National Call to Action for CampusesACE | August 10, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Issues-National-Call-to-Action-for-Campuses.aspx Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Commit to Education OverhaulPolitico | August 3, 2026https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/03/trump-admin-asks-colleges-to-sign-on-to-their-priorities-01022271 McMahon Sends Reform 'Questionnaire' to Colleges​ Inside Higher Ed | August 3, 2026https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2026/08/03/mcmahon-sends-reform-questionnaire-colleges Appropriations & Federal Agencies White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants The New York Times | September 20, 2026  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/science/nih-omb-grants-bhattacharya-vought.html  Researchers Accuse NIH of Viewpoint Discrimination in New Class Action Lawsuit Inside Higher Ed | September 18, 2026  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/09/18/researchers-accuse-nih-viewpoint-discrimination  ED, NSF Move to Implement Elements of Pending OMB Grant Proposal​ ACE | August 27, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-NSF-Move-to-Implement-Uniform-Guidance.aspx  International Updates International Students Face More New Hurdles This Year​ ACE | September 10, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/International-Students-Face-New-Immigration-Hurdles-This-Year-.aspx  Judge blocks DHS rule limiting foreign students to four-year stays The Washington Post | September 14, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/09/14/judge-blocks-dhs-rule-limiting-foreign-students-four-year-stays/  Colleges Dodge Trump's $103K H-1B Visa Fee Politico | August 24, 2026 https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/08/colleges-dodge-trumps-103k-h-1b-visa-fee-01048239?site=pro&prod=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=article&source=email  Accreditation ACE Comments on Proposed Accreditation Rule ACE | September 16, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-ED-Draft-Rule-Accreditation-091726.pdf  Will Trump's Accreditation Revamp Force Campus Changes? Inside Higher Ed | September 16, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/accreditation/2026/09/16/will-trumps-accreditation-revamp-force-campus-changes  Quick Hits – Tax-Exempt Status, Section 117, & Athletics IRS Proposes Rules to Strip Tax Exemptions From Colleges Using Race in Policies The Wall Street Journal | September 3, 2026 https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/irs-proposes-rules-to-strip-tax-exemptions-from-colleges-using-race-in-policies-774a32af?mod=education_news_article_pos1  Trump Administration Aims to Strip Schools' Tax Exemption if They Consider Race The Washington Post | September 3, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/09/03/trump-administration-aims-strip-schools-tax-exemption-if-they-consider-race/  Letter to the Editor | The Debate Over Foreign Money in Higher Education The Wall Street Journal | September 7, 2026 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-debate-over-foreign-money-in-higher-education-b4923e88?mod=letterstoeditor_article_pos2  College Sports Bill Moves Forward in Senate with Democratic Support Politico | September 15, 2026 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/15/congress/college-sports-bill-advances-01078084  Republican Bill Aims to Cap Numbers of International Student Athletes​ Inside Higher Ed | September 15, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/09/15/gop-bill-aims-cap-international-student-athletes 

Higher education is looking ahead to a busy fall, with midterm elections shaping the political landscape, an unfinished government funding process for FY 2027, and a wave of proposed rules working their way through various federal agencies. In the last eipsode of Season 7, the dotEDU hosts break down what campuses should expect in the months ahead.

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) higher education provisions are effective July 1, and financial aid offices are on the front lines of putting them into practice. Melanie Storey, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, joins hosts Mushtaq Gunja and Jon Fansmith to talk about the implementation challenges, from new program-level accountability requirements to the practical questions about student aid that campuses are working through. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: "Uniform Guidance" Grantmaking Rule Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance​ Federal Register | May 28, 2026​​ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance Summary: Office of M​anagement and Budget Government-Wide Regulations for Federal Financial Assistance ACE | June 16, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Summary-OMB-Federal-Financial-Assistance-Regs-060226.pdf Sen. Collins Asks OMB to Withdraw Parts of Grant Rule, Extend Comment Period​ U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations | July 6, 2026 https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/sen-collins-asks-omb-to-withdraw-parts-of-grant-rule-extend-comment-period Comments Flood OMB Proposal to Cement Political Control of Grants Inside Higher Ed | July 7, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/07/07/comments-flood-omb-proposal-political-control "Professional" Degree & Graduate Loan Limits Rule Nursing Gains 'Professional' Label for Student Loans After Judge's Ruling, But Theology Now Dropped The Associated Press | June 29, 2026 https://apnews.com/article/nursing-student-loans-professional-caps-theology-061ef7c1a98688e5338ff5128821a7b9 Professional Degree Definition Remains Contested as Student Loan Changes Take Effect July 1 ACE | June 29, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/New-ED-Rules-in-Effect-July-1.aspx Accountability Rule (Earnings Test) U.S. Department of Education Issues Final Rule to Hold All Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low-Earning Programs  Department of Education | June 29, 2026 https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-final-rule-hold-all-colleges-and-universities-accountable-low-earning-programs Financial Aid Shift to Hit Low-Wage Fields Like Religion, Cosmetology and Arts The Washington Post | June 30, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/30/bible-beauty-performing-arts-schools-face-cuts-financial-aid/ Comments on Education Department's Proposed Rule on Accountability ACE | May 20, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-AHEAD-Accountability-NPRM-052026.pdf OBBB Student Loan Changes July 1 Brings Big Student Loan Changes. Here's What You Need to Know NPR | June 30, 2026 https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5835633/student-loans-guide-education-changes-repayment-plan Comments on the Education Department's Implementation of OBBB Financial Aid Provisions​ ACE | March 2, 2026 Public Service Loan Forgiveness https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Comments-ED-RISE-030226.pdf Judges Strike Down Trump's Restrictions on Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants The Washington Post | June 30, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/30/court-strikes-down-trumps-limits-loan-forgiveness-public-servants/ Dear Colleague Letter on Housing Dear Colleague Letter​​ HUD | June 23, 2026 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28317431-06232026-as-trainors-dcl-on-racially-segregated-school-housing87/ Dear Colleague Letter Asks Colleges to End Affinity Housing​ Inside Higher Ed | June 26, 2026 Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Athletes https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2026/06/26/dear-colleague-letter-asks-colleges-end-affinity-housing Supreme Court Decision on Transgender Athletes Supreme Court Allows States to Bar Transgender Athletes From Girls' Sports The New York Times | June 30, 2026n https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/us/politics/supreme-court-transgender-athletes.html

The Department of Education is shifting civil rights investigations to the Department of Justice, a move that undermines the resolution-focused approach to resolving complaints that has supported students and campuses for decades. The dotEDU team breaks down what this latest move to dismantle ED means for higher ed, along with the latest updates on the House FY 2027 spending bill, changes to the rules for how federal grants are awarded, and more. Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Partnerships to Strengthen Coordination for Individuals with Disabilities Programs, Bolster Civil Rights Enforcement https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-additional-partnerships-strengthen-coordination-individuals-disabilities-programs-bolster-civil-rights Education Dept. Plans to Move Special Ed and Civil Rights Out of the Agency The Washington Post | June 16, 2026 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/06/16/education-dept-plans-move-special-ed-civil-rights-out-agency/ Committee Approves FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-approves-fy27-labor-health-and-human-services-and-education Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2027​ https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fy27-labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies-bill-subcommittee-summary.pdf Higher Education Faces New Spending Limits as House Appropriations Bill Advances ACE | June 15, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/House-Committee-Passes-FY27-Labor-HHS-Bill.aspx House Republicans Aim to Override Trump's Loan Limit Regulations Inside Higher Ed | June 12, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2026/06/12/house-gop-tries-override-trumps-loan-limit Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance Federal Register https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Regulations for Federal Financial Assistance ACE | June 2, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Summary-OMB-Federal-Financial-Assistance-Regs-060226.pdf Judge Blocks USCIS Pause, but International Students Remain in Limbo​ Inside Higher Ed | June 16, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2026/06/16/intl-students-still-limbo-even-uscis-pause-over Remember the Dreamers https://www.rememberthedreamers.org/

The hosts talk live to an audience of ACE Fellows about the White House's new proposal to rewrite the rulebook that governs how campuses manage federal grant funds, along with other higher education policy developments we're watching this summer. Here are some of the links mentioned in this week's show: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Department of Education https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/manage-your-grant/uniform-administrative-requirements-cost-principles-and-audit-requirements-for-federal-awards-us-department-of-education Office of Management and Budget Proposed Rule on Uniform Guidance Federal Register | May 29, 2026 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance White House Aims to Establish Political Oversight of Federal Grants Inside Higher Ed | May 29, 2026 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/05/29/omb-proposes-rules-establishing-political Negotiators Pass Draft Rules to Overhaul College Accreditation  ACE | May 22, 2026 https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Draft-Rules-Passed-to-Overhaul-Accreditation-.aspx

Yale University's Committee on Trust in Higher Education spent a year examining the forces behind declining public confidence in colleges and universities and came back with 20 recommendations for how institutions can respond. Julia Adams, cochair of the committee, walks us through the findings and what they might mean for campuses nationwide.  Here are links to the the report and the policy issues the hosts discuss: Report of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher Education (PDF) https://president.yale.edu/sites/default/files/2026-04/Report-of-the-Committee-on-Trust-in-Higher-Education.pdf Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/01/2026-08556/reimagining-and-improving-student-education-federal-student-loan-program-final-regulations The Rule That's Blocking the Next Generation of Health Care Workers Higher Education Today | May 12, 2026 https://www.higheredtoday.org/2026/05/11/the-rule-thats-blocking-healthcare-workers/ Education Department's Final Rule on Financial Aid Locks in Restrictive Graduate Loan Limits  https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Final-Rule-Locks-in-Restrictive-Grad-Loan-Limits-.aspx Contact Congress: Help Students Access Professional Degree Programs https://www.votervoice.net/ACENET/Campaigns/132758/Respond Justice Denied: How Trump's Office for Civil Rights Reached a 12-Year Low in Protecting Students from Discrimination https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/04.24.26-Justice-Denied-How-Trumps-Office-for-Civil-Rights-Reached-a-12-Year-Low-in-Protecting-Students-from-Discrimination_FINAL.pdf Court blocks Education Department's data demands for over 170 more colleges Higher Ed Dive | April 27, 2026 https://www.highereddive.com/news/education-department-acts-survey-preliminary-injunction/818620/

The landscape for federal TRIO programs has shifted dramatically since we talked about it in January. The Department of Education (ED) has issued new grant proposals that would cut the number of programs by more than half and fundamentally redirect TRIO away from its mission of college access.  We welcomed back Kimberly Jones, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, to walk us through what's at stake for these programs and the students they serve. The hosts also give the latest updates on ED's negotiated rulemaking. Links:  U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule to Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low Earning Outcomes  https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-proposed-rule-hold-colleges-and-universities-accountable-low-earning-outcomes ED Pushes Ahead on Accreditation Overhaul Despite Negotiator Pushback  https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/ED-Pushes-Ahead-on-Accreditation-Overhaul.aspx Accreditation discussion draft https://www.ed.gov/media/document/2026-negotiated-rulemaking-aim-aim-draft-regulations-version-11-updated-04172026-113722.pdf Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Foreign Gifts and Contracts Disclosures  Federal Register | April 15, 2026 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/15/2026-07304/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-foreign-gifts-and-contracts-disclosures What drove Hampshire College to shutter, despite raising $55 million  The Christian Science Monitor | April 18, 2026 https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2026/0418/hampshire-college-closure-endowment Council for Opportunity in Education and TRIO Programs https://coenet.org/coe-and-trio-programs/ COE Trio Advocacy https://coenet.org/take-action-now/ The Council for Opportunity in Education Condemns Latest TRIO Grant Proposal, Calls It "Direct Assault on College Access" https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/the-council-for-opportunity-in-education-condemns-latest-trio-grant-proposal-calls-it-direct-assault-on-college-access/ COE Blasts Latest Federal Proposal for TRIO, Calls for Immediate Rescission https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/coe-blasts-latest-federal-proposal-for-trio-calls-for-immediate-rescission/ COE Rejects Proposal to Eliminate Federal TRIO Programs in FY 2027 Budget  Council for Opportunity in Education | https://coenet.org/news-impact/press-release/coe-rejects-proposal-to-eliminate-federal-trio-programs-in-fy-2027-budget/