ED releases final FY 23 Cohort Default Rates The Education Department on Wednesday released the final fiscal year 2023 (FY 2023) Cohort Default Rates (CDR). As a reminder, the CDR refers to the share of federal student loan borrowers who enter repayment and default within three years. As covered in the Community College Daily, CDRs […]
Washington Watch Weekly, September 25, 2026
Accreditation comments submitted The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) this week submitted formal comments in response to the Education Department’s (ED) proposed accreditation regulations. As covered in Community College Daily, AACC supports the proposal’s transfer-of-credit provisions, which would require institutions to explain why credits are not accepted, helping ensure greater transparency and fairness for […]
Washington Watch Weekly, September 18, 2026
Senate Agriculture Committee approves Farm Bill with new funding for community colleges This week, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry approved its proposal for a 2026 reauthorization of the Farm Bill – the Agricultural Act of 2026 – on a party-line vote. The bill is expected to be voted on when the Senate […]
Washington Watch Weekly, September 11, 2026
ED training sessions on Workforce Pell, student loan default prevention The Department of Education (ED) this week announced a series of new trainings designed to help campus administrators navigate changes related to Workforce Pell and their responsibilities to prevent student loan defaults. The first Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) announces a new Office of Federal Student […]
Washington Watch Weekly, September 4, 2026
Congress passes stopgap funding bill through December The House on Tuesday approved a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Dec. 11. The measure, which was previously passed by the Senate, was quickly signed into law by President Trump on Wednesday. Congress is required to pass annual appropriations bills to fund discretionary defense and […]
Washington Watch Weekly, August 14, 2026
Advocate during August recess Each year, Congress takes August off so members can hear from constituents. The August recess is an important opportunity for community college leaders to connect with members of Congress, share the important work taking place on your campus and advocate for continued investment in the community college sector. We encourage campus […]
Washington Watch Weekly, August 7, 2026
McMahon issues higher education ‘National Call to Action’ Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday sent a “National Call to Action” to all college and university presidents, asking them to respond to a series of questions that the communication identifies as central to declining “public esteem” in higher education. As covered in Community College Daily, the […]
Washington Watch Weekly, July 31, 2026
Senate HELP committee approves higher education bills The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee marked up and approved a slate of 10 bills and nominations on Thursday, including several bills of interest to community colleges. With time running short in the current Congress, the future for all these bills is murky at best. For […]
Washington Watch Weekly, July 24, 2026
ED Guidance: Colleges responsible for aid disbursed to fraudulent students In a July 17 Electronic Announcement that answers questions related to its new real-time FAFSA fraud detection initiative, the Education Department (ED) stated that colleges must return all Title IV funds distributed to students that are later found to be fraudulent. This requirement applies even […]
Washington Watch Weekly, July 17, 2026
House Republicans advance bill package to formally dismantle ED Republicans on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce introduced last week a set of 10 bills – called the “Less Bureaucracy, Better Education” package – designed to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). On Wednesday, the Committee approved the package on a partisan basis. […]