Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues,

This week, Congress took the next step in advancing the FY 2025 spending bills with the House of Representatives and Senate moving forward in their respective appropriations committees (see story below for more details). As with last year’s House bill, federal student aid again faces significant cuts in that chamber, especially the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work-Study programs, which are proposed to be cut in half.

As you communicate with your elected officials this summer, please continue to remind them how critical these student aid programs are for students and the impact they have in your state and congressional district. As a reminder, NAICU’s federal student aid data sheets provide breakdowns of the amount of federal student aid each state and congressional district receives. Our collective advocacy last year prevented steep cuts to these programs and we will need that same focus and commitment this year.

There is considerable news on the regulatory front as we find ourselves sandwiched between the July 1 implementation date for the financial value transparency regulations and the new overtime rule and the forthcoming August 1 implementation date for the new Title IX regulations. The landscape continues to shift on these issues as court rulings are being considered around the country (see our stories below for more details). 

For example, a recent court ruling halted the August 1 implementation of Title IX in four states, bringing the total number of states with Title IX injunctions in place to 14. Similarly, a Texas court ruling has halted implementation of the overtime rule in that state for public employees only. The judge cited the recent Supreme Court Chevron ruling in indicating the court does not have to accept the final overtime rule as lawful. NAICU is still assessing the implications of the Chevron ruling, but we are beginning to see how that decision may impact other future decisions affecting higher education.

Soundbites

• Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, introduced legislation this week to require the Department of Education to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available on October 1 instead of the current January 1 start date. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) introduced a companion version of the bill in the House, which the Committee on Education & the Workforce amended and passed by voice vote during its markup this week. NAICU joined a community letter in support of this bill.

• NAICU joined others in the higher education community in sending a letter to the State Department asking for assistance with delays at U.S. consulates in India processing F-1 and J-1 student visas. There has been significant growth in the number of students from India who want to attend and are applying to U.S. colleges and universities, particularly following the pandemic. As a result of these increases in applications, processing times for student visas has slowed considerably. The letter urges the State Department to provide whatever assistance is necessary to free up application processing so students can be approved to study on U.S. campuses this fall.

• The Sec. 127 Coalition, which NAICU co-chairs with the Society for Human Resource Management, sent a letter to Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) calling on Congress to expand this important tax benefit. The Sect. 127 benefit allows employers to provide tax-free assistance to their employees who are pursuing their education while working. LaHood is chairing a Ways and Means Committee taskforce on the U.S. workforce that is reviewing tax benefits that support and strengthen job growth in the U.S. Expanding Sec. 127 will be among the many items considered for inclusion in legislation next year when the House examines numerous tax benefits set to expire in 2025.

• NAICU signed on to two community letters – one by ACE and one by EDUCAUSE – regarding reporting requirements proposed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) under the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act. Both letters articulate the higher education community’s significant concerns about CISA’s decision to designate the entire higher education sector as covered entities for purposes of cybersecurity incident reporting under the proposed rules including the fact that the proposal does not take into account the vast differences – in campus size, student population, institutional mission, and more – within the U.S. higher education system.

• NAICU Webinar. NAICU is hosting a webinar, Preparing for the Unexpected: Natural Disasters and FEMA (register), on August 8 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. NAICU will be joined on the webinar by Denver Applehans, Advisor, Community and Private-Sector Partner Outreach, FEMA and Matthew Shpiner, Executive Director for Emergency Management, University of Miami.

Home & Away Advocacy 2024

A reminder that we have updated our Student Aid Funding talking points. Please consider adding the talking points regarding Pell, SEOG, and FWS to your advocacy efforts this summer. Here is the summer recess calendar:

Enjoy your weekend!

Regards,

Barbara

Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A
President, NAICU