This page will be updated regularly to provide new information as it becomes available regarding AAU's legal action challenging the Department of Education's rushed roll-out of the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey to the IPEDS data collection system.
Updates:
April 13, 2026: On April 13, after a hearing wherein he granted motions to intervene for plaintiff-intervenors, Judge Saylor issued a TRO extending the ACTS survey submission deadline for AAU institutions, and constituent institutions of other plaintiff-intervenors through April 24, 2026. The TRO also restrains defendants from enforcing deadlines against these covered institutions which were set on March 18, 2026, March 31, 2026, and April 8, 2026.
April 7, 2026: On April 7, Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts provisionally granted the motions to intervene filed by the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, Maine Independent Colleges Association, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Independent College Group, in the case brought by 17 plaintiff states challenging the rollout of the ACTS survey to the IPEDS data collection. Similar to the order for AAU and AICUM, the judge also granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) which extends the deadline to complete the ACTS survey for the proposed intervenors and their constituent institutions through April 14, 2026 and scheduled an April 13, 2026 hearing on the pending motions.
April 3, 2026: On April 3, 2026, Judge Saylor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction covering public institutions in the 17 plaintiff states challenging the rollout of the ACTS survey to the IPEDS data collection. As a result of the injunction the government is preliminarily enjoined from enforcing any deadline for compliance with the survey. The injunction will remain in place until a final order is issued in this case, or a higher court overturns it.
This is separate from the March 31, TRO covering AAU and AICUM institutions, which remains in place with a new extended deadline for completion of the ACTS survey of April 14, and an April 13 hearing on the pending motions.
March 31, 2026: The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts provisionally granted the motions to intervene filed by AAU and AICUM in the case brought by 17 plaintiff states challenging the rollout of the ACTS survey to the IPEDS data collection. The judge also granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) which extends the deadline to complete the ACTS survey for AAU and AICUM members through April 14, 2026 and scheduled an April 13, 2026 hearing on the pending motions.
March 30, 2026: On March 30, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) also filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit and requested a TRO be issued to protect its members not already covered under a prior TRO.
March 26, 2026: On March 25, AAU filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit and requested a TRO be issued to protect our member institutions not already protected under the court’s prior TRO.
March 24, 2026: On March 24, Judge Saylor issued a temporary restraining order further extending the deadline to April 6, 2026 for public institutions in the 17 plaintiff states. ED subsequently confirmed that it would be extending the deadline for submission for institutions not covered by the court’s order to March 31, 2026.
March 19, 2026: AAU joined ACE, AAMC, and eight other higher education associations to submit an amicus brief supporting the states’ then pending motion for a TRO and arguing that the ACTS survey collection violates the APA, PRA, and is outside the agency’s authority.
March 13, 2026: On March 13, Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) extending the deadline to complete the ACTS survey from through March 18, 2026 to through March 25, 2026. After this order, on March 17, ED confirmed through an announcement made via the IPEDS Help Desk, that the extension would apply to all institutions and not just institutions in the 17 plaintiff states.
March 11, 2026: On March 11, 17 states attorneys general filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts challenging the rushed implementation of the Department of Education’s (ED) Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey to the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS) claiming it violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and exceeds the agency’s statutory authority.