NACAC Advocacy and Policy Updates for September 1, 2026
By: Sean Robins
Welcome to this issue of the Advocacy Update. As a new academic year gets underway, the policy environment surrounding college access and admission continues to shift. Recent federal and state developments are affecting nearly every part of the pathway to higher education — from college access and admissions to financial aid, international students, and federal education funding. With Congress returning to Washington and several significant policy decisions still ahead, the coming weeks will be important for students, institutions, and the professionals who support them.
Policy & Legislative Updates
There has been some welcome movement on federal college access funding. The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded more than $186 million in TRIO funding, easing concerns that funding could be redirected or not awarded. The initial awards represent approximately 80 percent of TRIO grants and will support hundreds of programs helping students access and succeed in postsecondary education. The remaining awards are expected in September, meaning some previous recipients are still awaiting decisions about whether their programs will receive continued federal support.
The TRIO announcement comes amid a much broader debate over how federal grants are awarded and administered. The Senate-passed continuing resolution (90-6) would delay proposed changes from the Office of Management and Budget that would give federal agencies greater authority over grants. However, the Department of Education is separately moving forward with similar changes for its own grants, including a proposal that would allow the department to terminate awards “for convenience” when they no longer align with agency priorities. These developments continue to raise questions about the stability of federal education investments and the extent to which funding approved by Congress could be redirected, delayed, or terminated by federal agencies.
Several states have experienced shortfalls in need-based financial aid programs as demand has exceeded available funding, creating uncertainty for students and institutions and, in some cases, forcing colleges to determine whether they can help fill gaps in promised aid. The challenges have prompted broader conversations about how states structure and fund financial aid programs so students can more reliably understand what assistance will be available when making college decisions.
Students are also encountering changes in how they find and navigate financial assistance. The Trump administration is overhauling a federally funded career and scholarship website, CareerOneStop, and resources intended to help students identify opportunities to pay for college. At the same time, implementation of the major federal student loan changes that took effect this summer continues to raise questions. Recent Department of Education guidance around new borrowing limits and repayment requirements has generated concerns among financial aid professionals about whether some of the information being provided to students and institutions accurately reflects the underlying law and regulations.
Those concerns come as federal student aid operations remain under scrutiny. Nearly 6,000 student loan borrowers in good standing recently received incorrect notices from MOHELA indicating that they were past due and potentially at risk of collection consequences. Federal Student Aid corrected the affected accounts within days, but the incident follows a Government Accountability Office finding that staffing reductions at FSA had decreased oversight of student loan servicers.
There has been greater continuity in the administration of federal K-12 funding. The Department of Education has indicated that it will keep the existing system for distributing major K-12 formula grants rather than moving those programs to a new structure. For schools and districts, maintaining the current system provides greater predictability for federal education funding as other parts of the department continue to undergo significant changes.
The connection between K-12 education and postsecondary access is also receiving renewed attention. A new resource from EdTrust outlines five policy principles for strengthening equitable college and career advising and pathways, including better data systems, stronger investments in school counseling and advising, expanded research, cross-sector partnerships, and responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence. The recommendations reinforce the importance of sustained, trusted advising relationships and the need to ensure students have access to the information, experiences, and support necessary to navigate their pathways after high school.
States and institutions are also continuing to explore ways to simplify that transition. Michigan is launching MI College Match, a direct admissions initiative involving 20 public and private colleges that allows students to receive admission offers based on their transcripts without submitting essays or letters of recommendation. The expansion adds to growing interest nationally in direct admissions as one approach to reducing barriers and helping students identify college opportunities they may not otherwise have considered. New research on Tennessee Promise similarly found that the state’s tuition-free community college program was associated with increases in college enrollment, associate degree attainment, and transfer to four-year institutions, including enrollment gains among nonwhite and rural students.
The broader admissions landscape continues to evolve as well. While several highly selective institutions have received significant attention for reinstating standardized testing requirements, test-optional policies remain the norm across higher education. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, 86 percent of more than 2,200 institutions reviewed are test optional and another 4 percent are test free, while just 7 percent require scores. The data provides a more complete picture of the testing landscape and reinforces that institutions continue to take a range of approaches to standardized testing in admissions.
At the same time, the Trump administration has continued to target institutions of higher education through investigations and enforcement actions involving admissions, scholarships, diversity initiatives, and other institutional practices. DOJ has alleged that Duke University School of Law discriminated based on race in admissions and has made similar allegations involving George Washington University’s medical school. William & Mary is also under federal investigation over allegations involving scholarships and other student benefits. The institutions and higher education leaders have raised questions about the administration’s interpretation and application of federal civil rights law as these investigations continue.
Those questions have been heightened by allegations from federal whistleblowers about how some investigations are being initiated and conducted. The allegations raise broader concerns about whether federal civil rights enforcement is being used to pursue predetermined political priorities rather than responding to evidence of discrimination, adding another layer of uncertainty for institutions navigating federal investigations and compliance expectations.
The administration’s approach to higher education is also reflected in ongoing discussions around a revised version of the proposed higher education “Compact.” The updated proposal poses a series of questions to institutions about admissions, tuition, international enrollment, institutional governance, and other policies. While the revised approach differs from earlier versions, it continues to raise concerns about the federal government’s use of funding and other leverage to influence institutional policies and priorities.
Federal actions affecting undocumented students have expanded significantly as well. DOJ has now sued 21 states over state tuition equity laws that allow certain undocumented and other noncitizen students to qualify for in-state tuition or related benefits. The cases have produced mixed outcomes, with some states ending or changing their policies while others continue defending them in court.
International students are navigating an equally consequential set of federal policy changes. Student visa issuances by the State Department declined by 23 percent in 2025, while international graduate enrollment fell 5.9 percent in fall 2025 and first-year international applications declined 10 percent during the 2025-26 application cycle. Most recently, the Department of Homeland Security issued new restrictions limiting when international students can participate in internships through curricular practical training, further affecting the educational and professional experiences available to students studying in the United States.
These trends have implications well beyond international enrollment. According to NAFSA, international students at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 355,736 jobs during the 2024-25 academic year. NAFSA and JB International’s Fall 2026 analysis projects that declining international student enrollment could result in an additional $3.4 billion in lost economic activity and nearly 40,000 fewer jobs. Beyond their academic and cultural contributions to campuses and communities, international students are an important part of local economies and the U.S. workforce, making the ability to attract and retain students from around the world an issue with implications extending far beyond higher education.
Congress returned this week with government funding once again at the top of its agenda. The House is expected to consider the Senate-passed continuing resolution, which would keep federal agencies funded through Dec. 11 and avert another potential shutdown after Sept. 30. The Senate measure would also temporarily delay OMB’s proposed changes to federal grantmaking rules. While passage would provide additional time for Congress to complete its FY 2027 appropriations work, it would not resolve the larger funding debate. Decisions affecting education, college access, student aid, research, and other federal programs will continue through the end of the calendar year.
NACAC Advocacy
As federal policy continues to shift, NACAC remains focused on ensuring that policymakers understand how these decisions affect students and the professionals who support them. We continue to engage with Congress, federal agencies, coalition partners, and other organizations across the education community to advocate for policies and investments that expand college access and support students as they navigate their pathways to higher education.
Federal funding remains a central advocacy priority. NACAC has continued to advocate for robust funding for TRIO and other college access and student support programs throughout the FY 2027 appropriations process. While the recent TRIO awards are an important development, additional awards are still expected in September and final FY 2027 funding decisions remain ahead. We will continue advocating for federal investments that support the work our members do every day with students and families.
NACAC also continues to engage with partners and policymakers around federal policies affecting international students, including recent changes involving visas, duration of status, and opportunities for practical training. We are also closely monitoring federal enforcement and legal developments affecting admissions and college access, including challenges to state tuition equity laws and increased scrutiny of institutional admissions practices. As these issues evolve, the experiences of NACAC members remain critical to helping policymakers understand how federal actions are affecting students, schools, colleges, and communities.
That member perspective will be at the center of NACAC’s inaugural Capitol Hill Briefing on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C. The briefing will bring together congressional offices and NACAC members to provide a clearer understanding of the college admission process — from application through enrollment — and elevate the perspectives of school counselors and admission professionals who support students throughout that journey. The conversation will reinforce an important message for policymakers: college admission is not a one-size-fits-all process and understanding how it works in practice is critical as federal policies affecting students and institutions are developed.
The briefing is another step in strengthening NACAC’s engagement with policymakers and creating opportunities for the expertise and experiences of our members to inform federal policy conversations. We look forward to sharing more about the briefing, key takeaways from the conversation, and what comes next following the event.
Ways You Can Take Action
With final FY 2027 funding decisions still ahead, members can continue urging Congress to support strong federal investments in education, college access, student aid, and student support programs.
Your voice also matters beyond funding. Continue sharing what you are seeing in your schools, institutions, and communities to help inform NACAC’s advocacy and demonstrate how federal decisions affect students and the professionals who support them. You can also take action today by using the advocacy alerts below to contact your members of Congress on key issues affecting college access and higher education.
- Tell Congress: Preserve Duration of Status
- Tell Congress: Support International Students and Scholars
- Tell Congress: Protect and Support TRIO Programs
- Tell Congress: Oppose Cuts to Student Financial Aid
- 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
The policy landscape will continue to change, and there will be more decisions ahead that impact students, institutions, and the professionals who support them. What remains constant is the importance of staying engaged and ensuring that policymakers hear from those closest to this work.
As the late Congressman John Lewis reminded us, “We have to be hopeful and be optimistic. Be bold, be brave, be courageous, and just get up and push and pull.” His words remind us that hope and action go hand in hand. Progress requires persistence, a willingness to keep showing up, and the belief that our collective efforts can help create meaningful change.
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.