By Sean Robins, NACAC’s director of advocacy

Welcome to this issue of the Advocacy Update on NACAC’s Admitted blog. As policy and implementation continue to evolve across the federal and state landscape, the pace and complexity of change remain high — shaping how institutions operate and how students access and experience postsecondary education.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to join colleagues at the Illinois ACAC conference to open their annual convening with a keynote focused on advocacy. The conversation centered on a reality many across the field are feeling right now: advocacy is not separate from our work — it is essential to it. At a time of significant policy change and growing uncertainty, practitioners continue to play a critical role in elevating student experiences, informing decision-making, and helping shape a more accessible and equitable postsecondary landscape.

Congress has returned to session, and federal developments continue at a rapid pace. Courts are actively hearing cases with direct implications for college access, admissions, and institutional operations. At the same time, the administration is continuing efforts to restructure the U.S. Department of Education, shifting programs, staff, and systems across agencies. Secretary McMahon is also expected to appear before the Senate HELP Committee to testify on the administration’s FY2027 budget request, signaling continued focus on federal education priorities and funding.

Policy & Legislative Updates 

At the federal level, continued restructuring efforts are influencing both policy direction and program delivery. The U.S. Department of Education is advancing a new accountability framework centered on student outcomes, including an earnings-based metric that could determine program eligibility for federal aid. At the same time, the department has convened a negotiated rulemaking committee on accreditation, signaling potential changes to how institutional quality is defined, measured, and enforced. These efforts are paired with broader administrative shifts, including the redistribution of programs across agencies and the continued use of interagency agreements to transition responsibilities raising ongoing questions about oversight, coordination, and long-term governance.

Operational changes are also affecting how institutions and students engage with federal systems. New FAFSA identity verification measures will introduce real-time fraud detection beginning later this month, alongside a one-time review of already submitted applications. While most applicants are expected to move through the process without disruption, those flagged as higher risk may face additional verification steps or delays, requiring coordination with financial aid offices. At the same time, ongoing legal challenges tied to the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) data collection continue to shape implementation timelines. Courts have extended reporting deadlines for certain institutions, and organizations and institutions seeking to join the current ruling have until April 24 to submit — making it likely that additional updates and clarity will emerge in the coming days. These developments contribute to a fragmented compliance landscape and add pressure to already stretched institutional teams navigating evolving guidance and compressed timelines.

Affordability and student financing remain central to the current policy environment, with several recent changes expected to have significant downstream effects. New federal loan caps are reshaping how students finance both undergraduate and graduate education. Limits on Parent PLUS borrowing and the elimination of Grad PLUS loans are expected to increase reliance on private lending, particularly for high-cost programs, raising concerns about access for students without strong credit or financial backing. At the same time, renewed federal efforts to resume student loan collections — targeting hundreds of thousands of borrowers in default — signal a broader shift back toward active repayment enforcement following the pandemic-era pause. Additional policy changes affecting programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness continue to generate congressional response, reflecting ongoing debates about eligibility, program design, and the role of federal aid in supporting public service pathways.

Recent data and research further highlight tensions in how financial aid is distributed. Reports from the NACAC and the Brookings Institution show that institutions are increasingly using merit aid to attract students without demonstrated financial need, in some cases allocating more institutional aid to higher-income students than to those with greater financial need. These trends underscore the competing pressures institutions face as they balance enrollment goals, revenue considerations, and commitments to equity and access.

At the state and institutional level, policy decisions and financial conditions continue to shape access in uneven ways. Some states are advancing efforts to expand opportunity, including initiatives to make community college tuition-free for recent high school graduates. At the same time, other states are revisiting policies that have historically supported access, such as in-state tuition for undocumented students, with rollbacks and legal challenges creating new uncertainty for affected students. Broader immigration-related policy proposals at the state level have also faced resistance, with many measures stalling amid concerns from business leaders and community groups about workforce and economic impacts.

Financial pressures across higher education are also becoming more pronounced. New projections indicate that a significant share of private colleges may be at risk of closure or merger in the coming years, driven by long-term enrollment declines and structural financial challenges. At the same time, federal policy changes are expected to place additional strain on state budgets, with higher education — often treated as discretionary spending — remaining vulnerable to funding cuts. Historical patterns suggest that reductions in state support can lead to increased tuition and greater financial burden for students, reinforcing concerns about long-term affordability and institutional stability.

These shifts are also affecting how institutions support specific student populations and campus communities. The planned dissolution of the Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition, alongside the redistribution of its programs, has raised concerns about the loss of a centralized federal voice and reduced capacity to support the nation’s growing population of English learners. Similarly, ongoing debates around child care funding highlight the importance of federal programs in supporting parenting students, who face disproportionate barriers to enrollment and completion.

Recent developments from the Department of Education have also provided short-term clarity on the disbursement of federal funds for this year. Despite ongoing efforts to shift program administration to other agencies, key K–12 formula funding — such as Title I and IDEA — will continue to flow through the department’s existing grant system for the July 1 disbursement. This decision responds directly to concerns from states about potential delays that could disrupt summer programming and the start of the school year, while also allowing additional time for coordination and system transitions with agencies like the Department of Labor. While the approach maintains continuity in the near term, questions remain about future disbursements, including the October funding cycle and longer-term plans for program administration. These developments underscore both the complexity of transitioning federal education programs and the importance of ensuring reliable funding delivery to states and school districts.

NACAC Advocacy 

In recent weeks, NACAC has advanced several coordinated advocacy efforts focused on protecting student access, strengthening accountability, and promoting clarity in federal policy implementation.

NACAC joined multiple coalition letters addressing the Department of Education’s proposed Workforce Pell regulations, highlighting both the opportunity and the need for thoughtful implementation. As policymakers move forward with expanding Pell Grant eligibility to short-term programs, NACAC and its partners emphasized the importance of clear, consistent guidance to support institutions and avoid unintended barriers for students. At the same time, the coalition underscored the need for stronger safeguards — calling for improved oversight, transparency on outcomes, and accountability measures to ensure program quality and protect against fraud and abuse. Together, these efforts reflect a balanced approach: expanding access to new pathways while maintaining the integrity of the Pell Grant program.

NACAC also took action to support stability in the federal student loan system by endorsing a joint resolution introduced by Representative Joe Courtney and Senator Tim Kaine to block recent regulatory changes affecting Direct Loans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The resolution, introduced under the Congressional Review Act, responds to concerns about how these changes could impact borrowers navigating an already complex repayment and forgiveness landscape. NACAC’s endorsement reinforces the importance of maintaining clear, consistent policies that support borrowers and the professionals who guide them.

In addition, NACAC joined a coalition urging increased federal investment in student parent success through the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. The letter calls on Congress to strengthen funding in the FY27 appropriations process, recognizing that access to affordable child care remains one of the most significant barriers to college persistence and completion for student parents. Expanding support through CCAMPIS is a critical step in ensuring that more students — particularly those balancing education and caregiving responsibilities — can enroll, persist, and complete their postsecondary goals.

Across these efforts, NACAC continues to work alongside partners to ensure that federal policies expand opportunity, protect students, and provide the clarity and stability needed for effective implementation.

Ways You Can Take Action 

We are continuously updating our Take Action page with opportunities to make your voice heard. If you have not already, I encourage you to advocate on the urgent issues below. You can also view all active advocacy campaigns in the yellow column of the Take Action page. 

• Tell Congress: Maintain Support for International Education and Exchange
• Tell Congress: Keep Education Programs at the Department of Education
• Tell Congress: Prioritize Visa Appointments for International Students and Scholars 
• Tell Congress to Not Abandon Our National Commitment to Education
• Urge Congress to Protect Disabled Students 
• Don’t Flunk the Future Advocacy Toolkit 

The current policy environment continues to evolve in ways that are both complex and consequential for students, institutions, and the professionals who support them. As federal and state actions intersect, the need for clarity, coordination, and sustained engagement remains critical.

As I shared this week at the Illinois ACAC conference, advocacy is not separate from our work — it is essential to it. In moments like this, it is easy to look to others for direction, but as Barack Obama reminds us, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” That perspective is especially relevant now, as your voice and your engagement help shape policies that directly impact students and institutions.

Uplifting your voice — and the voices of your students — helps ensure that access to postsecondary education is not just possible, but achievable.