NACAC Advocacy and Policy Updates for May 26, 2026
By: Sean Robins
Welcome to this issue of the Advocacy Update. The higher education landscape continues to shift rapidly as policymakers, federal agencies, courts, and institutions grapple with major questions surrounding college access, affordability, accountability, admissions, and civil rights enforcement. In recent weeks alone, developments tied to federal student aid, accreditation, immigration, institutional funding, and admissions policy have underscored just how interconnected these issues have become.
For NACAC members, these changes are not abstract policy debates. They directly affect students’ ability to access opportunity, institutions’ capacity to support student success, and the work counselors and admission professionals do every day.
Policy & Legislative Updates
Over the past several weeks, much of the national conversation has centered on the future role of the U.S. Department of Education and the administration’s continued efforts to reshape federal oversight of higher education. Congressional hearings with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted ongoing tensions surrounding staffing reductions, civil rights enforcement capacity, student aid administration, and the transfer of responsibilities to other federal agencies. At the same time, the department is significantly expanding hiring within the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) after deep staffing cuts last year, underscoring the operational pressures tied to FAFSA implementation, student loan servicing, and the implementation of major policy changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Those changes continue to generate significant concern across higher education. Financial aid administrators are warning that compressed implementation timelines, limited federal guidance, and operational uncertainty tied to OBBBA could create major challenges for institutions and students alike. A coalition of states has already filed suit challenging new graduate loan limits under the law, arguing the restrictions could create barriers for students pursuing advanced degrees in fields such as nursing, social work, and physical therapy. At the same time, lawmakers have introduced efforts to reverse portions of the administration’s student loan PSLF rulemaking through the Congressional Review Act.
The administration’s broader efforts to restructure higher education oversight are also becoming increasingly visible through accreditation and admissions policy. New accreditation proposals advancing through negotiated rulemaking would significantly expand federal influence over accreditation standards and institutional priorities. Concerns have intensified because no current institutional accreditors had a seat at the table during the Accreditation and Innovation in Higher Education (AIM) negotiations, raising questions about both process and institutional autonomy.
Admissions policies and practices remain under heightened scrutiny as well. The Department of Justice recently concluded that both UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and Yale School of Medicine violated federal law by continuing to consider race in admissions following the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) decision. The investigations raise concerns not only because of the administration’s approach to holistic admissions review, but also because they may preview how new federal admissions reporting requirements through the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) could be used moving forward. Meanwhile, ongoing discussions surrounding transparency in admissions continue to intensify as institutions navigate growing public scrutiny, legal uncertainty, and questions surrounding how colleges communicate institutional priorities and enrollment decisions.
Beyond admissions, the administration’s civil rights and equity agenda continues to shape policy discussions across education. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights reportedly resolved only a small fraction of pending civil rights complaints in 2025 amid major staffing reductions, raising concerns about the department’s ability to enforce longstanding protections for students and families. Simultaneously, states and institutions continue to navigate growing political and legal pressure surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, voting rights, immigration policy, and student support programs.
Immigration and international student policy also remain major areas of concern for colleges and universities. Recent surveys show significant declines in international student enrollment and growing challenges for international students seeking employment opportunities after graduation as visa restrictions, immigration uncertainty, and employer hesitancy increase. Federal actions challenging in-state tuition benefits for undocumented students and new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance surrounding deferred action policies have further intensified uncertainty for students and institutions working to support immigrant and undocumented populations.
At the same time, concerns about college affordability and access continue to remain central to the national conversation. A new Lumina-Gallup study found that many Americans increasingly view higher education as financially out of reach, even as they continue to value the long-term benefits of earning a degree. Encouragingly, FAFSA completion rates for the Class of 2026 have reached an all-time high, reflecting the work of counselors, educators, and college access professionals across the country.
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report also found that FAFSA simplification efforts expanded Pell Grant eligibility and increased access to federal financial aid for students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds. The findings reinforce the importance of reducing barriers within the financial aid process while continuing efforts to improve FAFSA implementation and ensure students can successfully access available aid. Institutions are also continuing to expand financial aid investments, including the University of Chicago’s announcement that it will offer free tuition to students from families earning less than $250,000 annually.
Meanwhile, conversations about student success are increasingly extending beyond access alone. New reports and analyses have highlighted the importance of advising, student supports, and institutional investment in helping rural students, parenting students, and historically underserved populations persist and succeed once enrolled. These conversations reinforce what NACAC members know well: college access and student success are deeply interconnected, and policies that affect affordability, advising, student aid, and campus support systems all shape students’ ability to achieve their educational goals.
NACAC Advocacy
Since the last Advocacy Update, NACAC has remained actively engaged in coalition advocacy efforts focused on protecting college access, affordability, and student support programs during a period of significant federal policy change. Much of NACAC’s recent advocacy has centered on the future of federal student aid as Congress and the administration continue advancing major changes tied to OBBBA and the FY27 appropriations process. NACAC joined the Student Aid Alliance in urging strong federal investments in student aid programs, including fully addressing the projected Pell Grant shortfall while protecting programs such as Federal Work-Study, FSEOG, TRIO, GEAR UP, and GAANN. NACAC also joined partners from the Title IV-A Coalition on Capitol Hill to advocate for continued investments in the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grant program under Title IV-A. During meetings with Senate offices and appropriations staff, NACAC emphasized the important role Title IV-A plays in supporting school counselors, college and career readiness initiatives, mental health services, and equitable student support systems. These programs remain critical to helping low-income, first-generation, and historically underserved students access and succeed in postsecondary education.
NACAC has also remained deeply engaged in ongoing federal accountability and transparency discussions tied to higher education rulemaking. Over the past several weeks, NACAC joined multiple coalition letters responding to proposed postsecondary accountability regulations connected to OBBBA. These efforts focused on supporting meaningful student protections and strong transparency measures while also raising concerns about implementation timelines, reporting burdens, and the need for accountability systems that appropriately reflect differences across program types and institutional missions.
As part of this work, NACAC joined coalition partners in supporting efforts to preserve and strengthen the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS), improve access to program-level outcomes data, and ensure students and families have access to clear, reliable information about college costs, debt, completion rates, and earnings outcomes. NACAC also joined coalition efforts urging the Department of Education to maintain strong safeguards against low-performing programs that leave students with unaffordable debt or poor outcomes.
Beyond student aid and accountability, NACAC continued supporting policies that expand educational opportunity and student mobility. NACAC renewed its support for the bipartisan Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2026, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Wicker. The legislation seeks to expand access to study abroad opportunities for low-income students, first-generation students, students with disabilities, community college students, and other historically underserved populations.
NACAC also remained engaged on immigration-related issues impacting students and campuses nationwide. In partnership with the American Council on Education and other higher education organizations, NACAC urged USCIS to address growing delays in processing DACA renewal applications. The coalition highlighted the uncertainty and hardship these delays create for students, faculty, staff, and campus communities.
Together, these efforts reflect NACAC’s continued commitment to advancing policies that strengthen college access, student success, transparency, and equity while supporting students and institutions navigating an increasingly complex higher education landscape.
Ways You Can Take Action
We are continuously updating our Take Action page with opportunities to make your voice heard. If you have not already, I encourage you to advocate on the urgent issues below. You can also view all active advocacy campaigns in the yellow column of the Take Action page.
- Tell Congress: Maintain Support for International Education and Exchange
- Tell Congress: Keep Education Programs at the Department of Education
- Tell Congress: Prioritize Visa Appointments for International Students and Scholars
- Tell Congress to Not Abandon Our National Commitment to Education
- Urge Congress to Protect Disabled Students
- Don’t Flunk the Future Advocacy Toolkit
As these conversations continue to unfold, NACAC will remain engaged with policymakers, coalition partners, and members across the country to advocate for policies that expand opportunity, strengthen student supports, and protect equitable pathways to postsecondary education. While the policy environment remains complex and uncertain, the work of counselors, admission professionals, and educators continues to play a critical role in helping students navigate these challenges and pursue their goals.
As former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” That commitment to students and educational opportunity continues to guide NACAC’s advocacy efforts every day.
Sean Robins is director of advocacy at National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), where he leads federal and state advocacy efforts to advance policies that support college access, affordability, and student success.