Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues:

As we continue to receive news and updates from the Department of Education concerning the FAFSA rollout, our lede story this week provides details on the latest from the agency, which is the expected mid-March release of the first test of institutional student information records (ISIRs) to campuses. Things continue to move slowly.

Additionally, the March 22 funding deadline, which includes allocations for the Department of Education and the core federal student aid programs, is fast approaching. Congress has met its first (extended) funding deadline of March 8, but there is no guarantee that a deal will be reached to avoid a government shutdown and complete the remaining FY 2024 funding prior to March 22.

If Congress fails to meet this deadline, there will be significant repercussions for higher education and the students we serve. Yesterday, I sent you an Action Alert asking that you contact your members of Congress and urge them to meet the funding deadline and to ensure that Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study are fully funded and that the Pell Grant maximum award is increased.

Given the amount of damage being done by the FAFSA delay, this is not the time to compound the damage by cutting student aid funding. The Action Alert includes talking points and a sample letter to Congress that you can tailor for your outreach. I hope that you will take a few minutes to contact Congress on these issues.

I will keep you posted on the funding negotiations as we approach the March 22 deadline.

Finally, the complex and months-long negotiated rulemaking on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality came to an end yesterday (see story below for preliminary information). We will have a more detailed report on the outcome of the negotiations in next week’s Washington Update.

Soundbites

• Continuing its focus on the fallout of the Middle East conflict on campus, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a roundtable on antisemitism last week. The event featured Jewish students from nine colleges and universities speaking about their experiences with antisemitism on campus.

• On March 1, NAICU and the Association of Institutional Researchers (AIR) held the second of two webinars dealing with recent regulations from the Department of Education. The webinar addressed the reporting requirements, data definitions, and data preparation for Financial Value Transparency (FVT) and Gainful Employment (GE). Dave Musser, the deputy director of policy implementation and oversight at the Department of Education, joined presenters Colby Cesaro, of Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities and Carolyn Mata, of Mata Higher Education Consulting and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. AIR has created a resource page with access to tools and webinars to answer questions and help campuses comply with these regulations.

Last week, Inside Higher Ed reported on its annual survey of college and university presidents. Along with providing insight into the key challenges and issues facing institutions and presidencies, I was struck by the focus on the importance of advocating with elected officials. Already this year, including yesterday, I have requested that you contact your congressional representatives several times on multiple issues. Yours is an important constituent voice and one that I hope we can continue to count on in the weeks and months ahead.

For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick