CONGRESS

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled “Federal Student Loans: Education Needs to Address Gaps in Servicer Oversight.”

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) requested GAO to open an investigation into U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) transfer of grant programs to agencies such as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

ADMINISTRATION

ED released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Workforce Pell Grants. Comments are due April 8.

The General Services Administration published a notice that requires any entity that receives “grants, cooperative agreements, and financial assistance such as loans, insurance, and direct appropriations” from the Federal government to sign a certification agreement that aligns with updated executive branch guidance including the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination.” Comments are due March 30.

The U.S. Department of State released data showing a significant decline in student visa issuances during the summer months leading up to the fall 2025 semester.

ED announced upcoming updates to Federal Student Aid systems and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) processing experience to implement provisions from H.R.1 (also known as the One Big Beautiful Act or the Working Families Tax Cuts Act).

ED issued a correction to regulations regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.

DOL issued sub-regulatory guidance regarding Registered Apprenticeships.

COURTS

Attorneys General from several States sued to stop new Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Collection System (IPEDS) data related to admissions from being reported to ED.

An appellate court reversed a lower court decision that dismissed a challenge to the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, terminating the loan forgiveness program.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans on providing clients with a summary of the following events next week:

March 17: House Education and Workforce Committee Mark up of H.R.7894, the Truman Scholarship Clean House Act; H.R.7661, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act; H.R.7890, the Science of Reading Act of 2026; H.R.7892, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026; H.R.7891, the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026; H.R.7893,  the FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act; and H.R.6084, the ERISA Litigation Reform Act.

March 19: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “Member Day.”