Last week, AAU submitted a comment letter urging the Department of Education to delay finalizing a proposed rule that would implement changes to the federal student loan programs initially enacted last year in the H.R. 1 reconciliation bill.
The Fulbright Program recognized the higher education institutions in the United States that produced the most Fulbright students and scholars last year – AAU member institutions again lead the list.
A new report by researchers at the Philadelphia Federal Reserve finds that new student loan limits imposed by Congress will lead to approximately one in eight graduate students struggling to secure sufficient educational loans from the private sector beginning in the upcoming academic year.
New proposals being considered by the Education Department will limit the number of degree programs that can be considered as “professional,” thereby curtailing the number of programs that will be eligible for higher loan limits set under H.R.1.
In times of financial uncertainty and shrinking federal resources, it is essential that research universities continue to invest in robust career development and professional resources for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
The bill places a cap on graduate loans, reduces student aid eligibility, and increases the endowment tax.
Endowments and Charitable Giving | Leading Research Universities Report | Graduate Education | Affordability and Student Aid
AAU, COGR, and APLU submitted a joint response to the Department of Energy's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policy Requirements. The comments outline the need for consistency with NSPM-33 and limiting unnecessary administrative burden.
The Section 127 Coalition, an alliance of more than 60 organizations, including AAU, sent a letter to Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) urging him to support two bipartisan bills – the Upskilling and Retraining Assistance Act (H.R. 6401) and the Upward Mobility Enhancement Act (H.R. 6402) – as well as other provisions that would expand and modernize Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code. LaHood was recently appointed to lead the House Ways and Means Committee’s Tax Team on the American Workforce.
AAU submitted a letter to House leadership and members of the House of Representatives regarding H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA). AAU expressed concerns that the CCRA would adversely impact postsecondary education. The letter states, “AAU opposes the CCRA, as the bill will fail to achieve the intended goal of making college more accessible and affordable for all students. We therefore urge the full House not to move forward with this bill in its current form”.
AAU, ACE and 21 other higher education associations sent a letter to House representatives opposing the inclusion of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act and the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act as amendments to the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (H.R.8070).