The U.S. Department of Education, through Federal Student Aid (FSA), has issued an electronic announcement emphasizing institutions’ obligations and opportunities to improve student loan repayment outcomes. The GEN-26-12 announcement on February 18, 2026, both releases updated institutional nonpayment rate data and reiterates the Department’s expectations regarding default management and prevention planning—particularly in light of recent legislative reforms under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Institutional Takeaways The announcement reflects a clear policy direction: Institutions are [...]

Institutions of higher education faced significant upheaval during 2025, driven by numerous executive orders, a range of new policy directives from the Department of Education (the Department or ED) and other federal agencies, legislation affecting federal student loan limits and institutional accountability, and heightened scrutiny of diversity initiatives carried out by recipients of federal funding. Additional recent actions by ED and other agencies indicate that 2026 may present similar uncertainty for the higher education [...]

On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (the “Department”) approved Iowa’s “Returning Education to the States Waiver,” making Iowa the first state to receive such approval. This waiver frees Iowa from several requirements related to the Every Student Succeeds Act (“ESSA”) and thereby give it greater flexibility in how it uses certain federal education funds. Background: July 29, 2025 Dear Colleague Letter On July 29, 2025, the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary [...]