Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues:

With Memorial Day behind us, Washington is gearing up for an active summer of activity that will keep us all focused and engaged. I’d like to start this week with a bit of good news. A few weeks ago, I mentioned NAICU’s involvement in the National College Attainment Network-led Do the FAFSA campaign designed to encourage students to fill out the application.

I’m pleased to report that NCAN has raised nearly $4 million to support the campaign, which initially includes a national social media initiative and a media relations effort in seven states, Colorado, Georgia, Washington, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, and Mississippi. These states were chosen because, among other reasons, they have experienced a significant decline in FAFSA completion rates compared to last year.

According to the most recent data from NCAN (as of May 24), 42.5% (1.7 million students) of the 2024 high school class has completed a FAFSA, 14.4% fewer than last year. So, this campaign is designed to increase these rates as quickly as possible.

In policy news, as we expected, the Biden Administration’s overtime rule is now facing a legal challenge, in the Eastern District of Texas, from a dozen business and industry groups (see story below for details). The location is significant as this is the same court that in 2016 threw out the Obama Administration’s overtime rule.

While the lawsuit is encouraging, the outcome is very much in doubt. I strongly encourage you and your campus to not rely on court action and continue to prepare for the July 1 implementation.

Yesterday, I sent an Action Alert to NAICU member institutions that are paying or close to paying the endowment tax to inform them that Congress will soon be reconsidering the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, which would require these institutions to pay the full federal costs of their former students’ federal student loans to pay for an expansion of the Pell Grant program to short-term training programs. 

Workforce Pell, as well as the DETERRENT Act, are expected to be offered as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and considered in the House Rules Committee as early as next week. We are engaging with Congress to encourage representatives to vote no on including those amendments in the NDAA. If you’d like to support this effort, the Action Alert includes talking points to help with your conversations.

Soundbites

• Bob Good (R-VA) introduced a bill that would prohibit varsity student athletes from being treated as employees of any institution, conference, or association. NAICU, which has long opposed treating students as employees in the labor context, has endorsed the bill.
• NAICU Webinar . NAICU is hosting a webinar to help member presidents and other campus leaders prepare for the 2024 election season, by providing an overview of key legal, operational, and communications considerations that should factor into campus preparations. This is intended to provide general guidance to inform campus planning. The webinar will be held on June 20 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT ( registration ). Additional details will be forthcoming.

This week’s Washington Update also includes stories on a new coordinated effort in Congress to investigate ten colleges and universities, both public and private, nonprofit, regarding their responses to antisemitism incidents on their campuses and nearly $10 million in news Department of Education basic needs grants for eligible HBCU and MSI institutions.

Enjoy your weekend!

Regards,

Barbara

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

For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick