Advocacy

Congress Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill

On Thursday, the House passed the Senate-passed version of the budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 218-214, sending the Republican party-line package of domestic priorities to President Trump for his signature ahead of the July 4th holiday, meeting their latest self-imposed deadline. President Trump plans to hold a signing ceremony tomorrow. Two Republicans voted against the bill, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). 

The Senate passed the package on Tuesday in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance providing the tie-breaking vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted for the bill after receiving significant provisions for her state. Three Senate Republicans voted against the bill, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). Tillis, who said he was voting against the bill because it would cause many of his constituents to lose Medicaid coverage, announced he would be retiring at the end of this term.

Ahead of the vote for final passage, House Republicans set a record for the longest House vote, holding open a procedural vote for 7 hours and 24 minutes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also set a record for the longest House floor speech. Speaking for 8 hours and 44 minutes, Jeffries said the budget reconciliation package was an “all-out Republican assault on health care”. Regarding the bill’s impact on Medicaid, Jeffries said, “people will die. Tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year as a result of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people. I'm sad. I never thought I would be on the House floor saying this is a crime scene."

The package, which extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts, would reduce revenues by $4.5 trillion and reduce spending by $1.2 trillion, adding $3.3 trillion in budget deficits over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The package would increase border security and defense spending. Changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act would result in roughly 11.8 million more uninsured people by 2034, according to the CBO, while SNAP funding would be cut by 20 percent. The debt limit would also be increased by $5 trillion. 

Workforce Pell was included in the Senate and House passed package. After the provision had been found by the Senate Parliamentarian to be in violation of the Byrd rule, the provision was revised to limit eligibility solely to Title IV accredited institutions, eliminating the previous expansion of eligibility for high-quality, workforce programs that met certain requirements. Other education provisions include endowment tax increases, accountability measures, and the streamlining of loan repayment plans, including the termination of the SAVE plans for new loans starting July 2026. 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) discussed two more reconciliation bills this Congress. “You can do a reconciliation budget for each fiscal year [the reconciliation bill which passed this was for the FY 25 year]. So, the plan is to do one in the fall for the FY 26 budget year, and then we can also squeeze in a third one for FY 27 before this Congress is up.” 

An overview from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

Department of Education Concludes Negotiated Rulemaking Session on Public Service Loan Forgiveness 

The Department of Education concluded its negotiated rulemaking session, with three days of negotiations on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) this week. The Department’s aim is to ensure that employers in the PSLF program are not engaging in activities that a have a substantial illegal purpose, which could be interpreted as organizations that support undocumented immigrants, provide gender affirming care, support terrorism, have a pattern of violating state laws, and more. As negotiators did not reach a unanimous consensus, the Department of Education may write a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), expected in the coming months. After a public comment period, a final rule would follow. If that is published on or before November 1, 2025 then final rules can be implemented on July 1, 2026. A press release, and more details, from the Department of Education may be accessed here.

ASAHP Joins ACE Letter to Senate Leaders on Budget Reconciliation Bill

ASAHP joined the American Council on Education (ACE) and dozens of higher education associations in a letter to Senate leadership to express concerns regarding provisions contained in the Senate reconciliation titles proposed by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Committee on Finance. The letter states concern that cuts to student aid will increase costs to students and erect barriers to developing the workforce, and that new and increased taxes on institutions of higher education will limit student aid and constrain research.

The letter may be accessed here.

House Committee Advances Accreditation Bills

The House Education and Workforce Committee held a full committee mark up on Wednesday, advancing seven bills, including two on accreditation, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act of 2025, and the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act. The ACE Act aims to prohibit accreditors from considering partisan, political, or ideological factors such as DEI or accessibility policies when evaluation institutions. The Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act, which was introduced five days before the mark up, would require accreditors to use measurable student achievement outcomes.

A Committee press release is here, more details, including a link to watch the markup, are here, and more details on the ACE Act are available here.

House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Hearing on FY 26 HHS Budget Request

Today at 10am Eastern, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 HHS budget request, with testimony from HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.

The budget seeks $93.8 billion for HHS, a cut of about $33 billion over the FY 25 enacted level. The budget proposes the consolidation of several programs formerly administered by HRSA, representing a funding decrease of $1.732 billion. This includes a proposed $1 billion cut to health workforce programs, which includes the Title VII and Title VIII programs, targeting programs that provide scholarship and support for individuals to enter health professional careers. 

The Administration proposes to combine multiple HHS agencies, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and some programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), into a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

The budget proposal calls for elimination of a number of programs, to “align investments with the Administration’s priorities, streamline the bureaucracy, reset the proper balance between federal and state responsibilities, and save taxpayer funds.” This includes the proposed elimination of, previosuly within HRSA, “15 workforce programs including some Nursing workforce programs and Medical Student Education.”

In regards to behavioral health, “The budget also invests $129 million in Behavioral Health Workforce Development Programs, including Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. These programs train and place behavioral health providers in underserved communities. It expands the workforce, integrates behavioral health into primary care, and addresses the shortage of providers, particularly in rural areas where behavioral health services are often provided by primary care providers.”

The hearing may be viewed here.

House Education and Workforce Committee Schedules Markup on Accreditation Bills

The House Education and the Workforce Committee scheduled a full committee markup for Wednesday, June 15, at 10:15am Eastern. The Committee will consider seven bills, including two on accreditation, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act of 2025, and the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act.

Links to the legislation, and a link to watch the markup are available here. More details on the ACE Act are available here.

ASAHP Joins Letter to Senate Leaders on Budget Reconciliation Bill

ASAHP joined 56 national and state organizations in expressing concern with the higher education provisions in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill, specifically the impacts such cuts would have on health professions education and the future health care workforce. The letter urges the senate to preserve subsidized loans for undergraduates, retain the Grad PLUS Program, and increase the proposed aggregate limit for unsubsidized federal loans, which includes lifetime borrowing for both undergraduate and graduate education.

The letter may be accessed here.

Senate HELP Committee Releases its Budget Reconciliation Bill

On Wednesday, the Senate HELP Committee released its portion of the budget reconciliation package on Wednesday night. The bill text, section by section, and a one-page summary may be found here.

While the House Education and Workforce Committee’s portion of the bill finds $351 billion in savings over 10 years, Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) staff said the Senate version of the bill includes about $300 billion in savings over 10 years. The Senate bill includes a number of differences from the House version and includes last drastic changes. The Senate version, unlike the House version, does not end subsidized loans for undergraduates. The Senate version also does not include the House’s Pell Grant provisions which would change the credit hours to be considered full-time and make students ineligible for Pell Grants if they are not enrolled at least half time. The Senate version does not eliminate the 90/10 rule and does not contain the House’s risk sharing provisions, but would instead condition student eligibility for loans based on the income of former students. The Senate version, like the House version, includes workforce Pell.

The Senate Finance Committee has not yet released its portion of the bill, which will include tax and health care provisions. Senate Leadership hopes to bring the budget reconciliation package to the floor the week of June 23rd, where just 51 votes are needed for passage. The Administration had been hoping to have a final package become law by July 4, though there are substantial differences between the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Senate version of the budget reconciliation packages which will need to be reconciled.

The American Council on Education (ACE) has put together budget reconiciliation sumarries as pertains to higher education, here.

House FY 26 Committee Mark Ups Scheduled for July

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee approved (https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-approves-numerous-fy26-subcommittee-allocations) interim allocations for four of its twelve committees (Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-VA). The House allocation for the Labor-H bill has not yet been released.

The House Subcommittee markup and Full Committee markup for the Labor-HHS bill has been scheduled, with a Subcommittee markup to be held on Monday, July 21 at 5pm Eastern and a Full Committee markup to be held on Thursday, July 24 at 10am Eastern.

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) said that she did not anticipate a decision on a topline funding number in the chamber until after Congress has passed its budget reconciliation package.

More FY 26 Presidential Budget Request Details Released

This afternoon, the Trump Administration released additional FY 26 budget request details. The Administration proposes to combine multiple HHS agencies, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and some programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), into a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

The budget proposal calls for elimination of a number of programs, to “align investments with the Administration’s priorities, streamline the bureaucracy, reset the proper balance between federal and state responsibilities, and save taxpayer funds.” This includes the proposed elimination of, previosuly within HRSA, “15 workforce programs including some Nursing workforce programs and Medical Student Education.”

In regards to behavioral health, “The budget also invests $129 million in Behavioral Health Workforce Development Programs, including Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. These programs train and place behavioral health providers in underserved communities. It expands the workforce, integrates behavioral health into primary care, and addresses the shortage of providers, particularly in rural areas where behavioral health services are often provided by primary care providers.”

Yesterday, Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), said the full budget proposal would be released after the budget reconciliation package has passed Congress.

The HHS FY 26 Budget in Brief may be accessed here, with other details here. The education budget summary and background information may be accessed here. TheFY 26 budget request appendix is here.

Congressional Budget Hearings for the Department of Education Announced

Two more congressional budget hearings on FY 26 budget for the Department of Education have been announced. On Tuesday, June 3, at 10am Eastern, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Education, with testimony from Secretary of Education Linda McMahon . The hearing may be viewed live here.

On Wednesday, June 4, at 10:15am Eastern, the House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Education, with testimony from Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The hearing may be viewed live here.

On May 21, the House Appropriation Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee held a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Education. Our memo on that hearing may be accessed here.

Department of Defense to Cap Indirect Research Cost Rates

A Department of Defense memo signed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth calls for the Department to implement a 15 percent indirect cost cap on awards to institutions of higher education. The Trump Administration is the fourth federal agency, after NIH, the Department of Energy, and NSF, that has enacted a plan to cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, though the NSF plan is currently paused and the NIH and DOE plans have been blocked by federal judges.

Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here. The May 14 Department of Defense memo is here.

Congressional Budget Hearings for the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services

On Wednesday, May 21 at 10am Eastern, the House Appropriation Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Education. The hearing will be livestreamed here.

On Tuesday, May 20, at 10am Eastern, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services. The hearing will be livestreamed here.

On Wednesday, May 14, at 9:30am Eastern, the House Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee held a hearing on the FY 26 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services. The hearing was livestreamed here.

Department of Education Title IV Negotiated Rulemaking 

The Department of Education has announced its intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare prosed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The Student Loans and Affordability Committee will address the following topics: 1. Refining definitions of a qualifying employer for the purposes of determining eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. 2. Revisiting family size, restructuring repayment plan provisions, including the alternative repayment plan, and certain other provisions of the July, 10, 2023 rule. The department is accepting nominations for negotiators, and the Committee will meet on June 30 to July 2. More details are here.

Executive Order Targets In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students

On Monday, April 28, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled, Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens. The Executive Order states that, “the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and appropriate agency heads, shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens that may violate 8 U.S.C. 1623 or that favor aliens in criminal charges or sentencing.”

The Executive Order may be accessed here. An article from Inside Higher Ed on the EO may be accessed here.

President’s FY 26 Budget Request Released

On Friday, the White House released the President’s FY 26 Discretionary Budget Request, the budget blueprint for the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2025. The budget requests a reduction of roughly $163 billion (22.6 percent) for domestic programs, while Defense would see a $119 billion (13.4 percent) increase, coming entirely through the reconciliation bill that Republicans are currently drafting.

A more detailed budget request outlining program by program funding levels, is expected to be released by the end of the month, but the skinny budget provides the overall parameters to the Administration’s budget proposal including a 15% cut to the Department of Education, and a a 26% cut to HHS.

The budget seeks $93.8 billion for HHS, a cut of about $33 billion over the FY 25 enacted level. The budget proposes the consolidation of several programs formerly administered by HRSA, representing a funding decrease of $1.732 billion. This includes a proposed $1 billion cut to health workforce programs, which includes the Title VII and Title VIII programs, targeting programs that provide scholarship and support for individuals to enter health professional careers. A FY 2026 OMB Budget Passback memo, which was labeled “pre-decisional,” referenced creation of a new Administration for Healthy America (AHA), which would combine HRSA with several other HHS agencies. 

While ED’s budget includes a $12 billion (15%) total cut, it eliminates funding for TRIO and Gear Up, and calls for a $980 million reduction in funding for Federal Work-Study.

This is only a proposal and must be approved by Congress and the full extent of the proposed cuts to individual programs is difficult to ascertain through the broad lens of a skinny budget. However, the total scope of the cuts is unprecedented and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), who has already raised “serious objections” to components of the President's proposal. A 60 vote supermajority is needed to move appropriations bills through the Senate, and Democrats are already firmly aligned against the President’s proposal. A statement from Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) is here.

The President’s FY 26 Discretionary Budget Request may be accessed here. A one-page table with discretionary requests by agency is here.

Department of Education Issues Guidance on Changes to the Approval Process for Changing Accrediting Agencies

Yesterday, the Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter which issues guidance on changes to the approval process for changing accrediting agencies. The Dear Colleague Letter follows last week’s Executive Order on accreditation.

The Dear Colleague Letter may be accessed here and a Department of Education press release is here.

House Education Committee Advances Budget Reconciliation Bill

Today, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a mark up of their portion of the budget reconciliation bill. Termed the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan, the bill advanced out of the House Education and Workforce committee and now goes to the House Budget Committee before being packaged with other committee’s bills and then going to the House floor. The bill cuts about $350 billion over 10 years, after the budget resolution passed by both chambers included reconciliation instructions for the committee to find savings of at least $330 billion.

The bill makes changes to student loan programs and student loan repayment plans as well as Pell grants. It caps the total amount of federal student aid a student can receive annually at the “median cost of college,” defined as the median cost of attendance for students enrolled in the same program of study nationally and calculated by the Secretary using data from the previous award year. It terminates the authority to make Grad PLUS loans and subsidized loans for undergraduate students.

The bill expands eligibility for Pell Grants to students enrolled in short-term, high-quality, workforce aligned programs that meet certain requirements.

The bill creates skin-in-the-game accountability for colleges and universities by amending the terms of the Direct Loan program participation agreement to require institutions to reimburse the Secretary for a percentage of the non-repayment balance associated with loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2027.

The bill establishes a “PROMISE” grants program to provide performance-based grants to institutions.

The bill repeals regulations such as the 90/10 rule, gainful employment, and regulations pertaining to borrower defense to repayment and closed school discharges.

The House hopes for their reconciliation bill to go to the House floor the week of May 19, with the package being signed into law before the Memorial Day recess.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said July 4th is the target date for the budget reconciliation bill’s passage in both chambers. The budget reconciliation bill is to include components from various congressional committees, including an extension of the 2017 tax cuts.

The bill text is here, a section-by section summary is here, a press release including an opening statement from Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) is here, a press release from the commitee’s Republican majority is here, a press release including an opening statement from Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) is here, letters of opposition and Democratic amendments are here, a Democratic summary of the bill is here, the Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary cost estimate is here. Video of the mark up is here.