On this page, you'll find proposals that seek to improve institutional quality and/or look to hold institutions or individuals responsible for their actions or performance. In addition, this page includes legislation regarding accreditation and matters related to the Department of Education, including structure and regulatory activity.

H.Con.Res.14 — Concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2025

NASFAA Summary: The resolution includes reconciliation instructions that direct 11 House committees to submit legislation that will increase or decrease the deficit over FY2025-FY2034 and increase the statutory debt limit by specified amounts. The House Education and Workforce Committee submitted their legislation which proposes significantly overhauling federal student aid. This bill would modify the Pell Grant program by defining full-time enrollment as 15 credits, establishing an income cutoff based on the maximum Pell Grant, and introducing Workforce Pell for short-term programs. It would establish a new campus-based "Promise Grant" beginning in the 2028-29 award year, funded through an institutional risk-sharing proposal. The legislation would reinstate the asset protection allowance for family farms and small businesses in the FAFSA need analysis and eventually shift the need calculation to be based on the median cost of a student's program of study. Furthermore, this bill would revise the definition of an eligible student, narrowing eligibility for certain non-citizen categories.

Regarding federal loans, this bill would eliminate new subsidized undergraduate loans and Grad PLUS loans effective July 1, 2026. It would revise annual and aggregate unsubsidized loan limits, tying them primarily to the median cost of the student's program, and restrict Parent PLUS borrowing unless the student borrows the maximum unsubsidized amount. The bill would consolidate loan repayment into two main options, including a new income-based "Repayment Assistance Plan," while limiting deferment and forbearance options for new borrowers. It would implement an institutional accountability framework requiring institutions to remit payments based on their student cohorts' loan repayment performance. Finally, this legislation would repeal the 90/10 rule, Gainful Employment regulations, and other recent regulatory actions, while significantly limiting the Department of Education's authority to issue similar rules in the future.

H.R.2899 — PROTECT Students Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Takano [D-CA]
Introduced: 04/10/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would codify the 2023 Biden Administration's Gainful Employment regulations, requiring career programs at Title IV institutions to demonstrate that graduates earn more than high school graduates in their state and have a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio. Borrower defense regulations are simplified, allowing students to discharge loans if they were misled by their institutions. The bill ensures closed school discharge eligibility for students enrolled within 180 days of a school’s closure. The bill also includes oversight measures including clarifying that third-party servicers handling federal aid, recruitment, retention, default management, or instructional content development fall under Department of Education regulations. It also establishes a ‘For-Profit Education Oversight Coordination Committee’, involving multiple federal agencies to coordinate investigations and enforcement efforts. A public complaint resolution system would be implemented, requiring institutions and servicers to respond to student and borrower complaints. Transparency measures require institutions to disclose debt-to-earnings rates for all graduate and certificate programs, instructional spending levels, third-party servicer relationships, and online program recruitment expenditures.

H.R.2809 — Fair College Admissions for Students Act

Sponsor: Rep. Kim [R-CA]
Introduced: 04/10/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit institutions that participate in federal student aid programs from granting preferential treatment in admissions based on an applicant’s relationship to donors or alumni. This ban on legacy and donor-based admissions preferences would become effective at the start of the second federal award year following the bill’s enactment.

S.1402 — Returning Education to Our States Act

Sponsor: Sen. Rounds [R-SD]
Introduced: 04/09/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would abolish the Department of Education within one year of enactment and redistribute its responsibilities across other federal agencies. The bill transfers all Title IV federal student aid programs—including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and campus-based aid—to the Department of the Treasury, which would also assume control of the Health Education Assistance Loan program. States would receive postsecondary education funding through new block grants administered by Treasury, based on enrollment figures, with conditions including data reporting, audits, and civil rights compliance. While the bill preserves FERPA and civil rights protections, it removes centralized federal oversight of higher education policy and financial aid administration.

H.R.2691 — Unnamed

Sponsor: Rep. Moore [R-AL]
Introduced: 04/07/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would abolish the Department of Education within 30 days of enactment and terminate all of its programs, except for the Federal Pell Grant Program and the Federal Direct Loan Program, which would be transferred to the Department of the Treasury. The bill also establishes a new grant program that allocates federal funds to states for elementary and secondary education based on the proportion of federal income taxes paid by residents of each state.

H.R.2583/S.1253 — College Admissions Accountability Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Taylor [R-OH]
Sponsor: Sen. Banks [R-IN]
Introduced: 04/01/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would create a Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination within the Department of Education to investigate racial discrimination in college admissions. The office would handle complaints, review federal policies, and recommend actions—including loss of federal funding—for institutions found in violation of anti-discrimination laws. It would submit quarterly reports to Congress and operate for 12 years with $25 million in funding. The bill would also make institutions ineligible for federal aid if found to use race in admissions.

H.R.2456 — Orderly Liquidation of the Department of Education Act

Sponsor: Rep. Moran [R-TX]
Introduced: 03/27/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would eliminate the Department of Education by December 31, 2026, and redistribute its functions across several federal agencies. For higher education, the bill would move all federal student aid responsibilities—including Pell Grants, federal loans, servicing, and income-driven repayment—to a new Office of Federal Student Aid within the Department of the Treasury. The Treasury would also take on borrower defense claims and oversight of financial aid operations currently managed by the Department. Civil rights enforcement in education would be transferred to the Department of Justice, and the National Science Foundation would assume control of postsecondary data collection and research, including oversight of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and College Scorecard. Career and technical education programs would shift to the Department of Labor. For elementary and secondary education, Title I and IDEA programs would be moved to the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill would also eliminate Direct PLUS loans. 

H.R.2446/S.1182 — Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act

Sponsor: Rep. Lawler [R-NY]
Sponsor: Sen. Scott [R-SC]
Introduced: 03/27/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would bar colleges and universities from participating in Title IV federal student aid programs if they authorize, fund, or otherwise support events that promote antisemitism.

H.R.2386 — Make Education Great Again Act

Sponsor: Rep. Ogles [TN-5]
Introduced: 03/26/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would restore educational authority to parents, states, and local communities while limiting federal involvement. It directs the Secretary of Education to review and revise regulations that restrict parental rights or local control, promote school choice, reduce federal administrative burdens, and ensure transparency in education. It also grants the Secretary broad authority to reduce federal education spending below appropriated levels, as long as mandatory funding requirements are met.

H.R.2276 — Combating Racist Teaching in Schools Act

Sponsor: Rep. Roy [R-TX]
Introduced: 03/21/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit the allocation of federal funds to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools that promote certain race-based theories or compel students or teachers to adopt related beliefs in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The bill defines "race-based theories" to include concepts such as the belief that the U.S. is fundamentally racist, that any race is inherently superior or inferior, or that individuals are inherently racist or bear responsibility for others' actions based on their race.

H.R.2272 — Freeze Aid For Student Assaulters Act of 2025 (FAFSA Act of 2025)

Sponsor: Rep. Pfluger [R-TX]
Introduced: 03/21/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would make individuals convicted of certain criminal offenses ineligible for Title IV federal financial aid. Specifically, those convicted of assaulting a police officer or offenses related to rioting—including inciting, organizing, participating in, committing violence in furtherance of a riot, or aiding and abetting such acts—would lose eligibility for grants, loans, and work-study assistance. Additionally, any grants previously awarded to these individuals would be converted into Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, accruing interest from the date of the original grant award. These converted loans would not be eligible for forgiveness, cancellation, or any other repayment assistance programs.

S.982 — No Tax Dollars for College Encampments Act of 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Banks [R-IN]
Introduced: 03/12/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges and universities to disclose their policies on responding to civil disturbances, including how they coordinate with law enforcement. It defines "civil disturbance" as activities like protests, riots, or strikes that disrupt the community and require intervention to maintain public safety and prevent learning disruptions.

S.994 — PROTECT Students Act of 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Durbin [D-IL]
Introduced: 03/12/2025 
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would codify the 2023 Biden Administration's Gainful Employment regulations, requiring career programs at Title IV institutions to demonstrate that graduates earn more than high school graduates in their state and have a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio. Borrower defense regulations are simplified, allowing students to discharge loans if they were misled by their institutions. The bill ensures closed school discharge eligibility for students enrolled within 180 days of a school’s closure. The bill also includes oversight measures including clarifying that third-party servicers handling federal aid, recruitment, retention, default management, or instructional content development fall under Department of Education regulations. It also establishes a ‘For-Profit Education Oversight Coordination Committee’, involving multiple federal agencies to coordinate investigations and enforcement efforts. A public complaint resolution system would be implemented, requiring institutions and servicers to respond to student and borrower complaints. Transparency measures require institutions to disclose debt-to-earnings rates for all graduate and certificate programs, instructional spending levels, third-party servicer relationships, and online program recruitment expenditures.

S.880 — Fair College Admissions for Students Act

Sponsor: Sen. Merkley [D-OR]
Introduced: 03/06/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit colleges and universities that participate in federal student aid programs from giving preferential treatment in admissions to applicants who are relatives of alumni (legacy students) or donors. The ban would take effect at the start of the second award year after the law is enacted, ensuring a transition period for institutions to comply.

H.R.1282 — Eliminate DEI in Colleges Act

Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis [R-FL]
Introduced: 02/13/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit federal funding for institutions of higher education that implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. To remain eligible for federal financial aid programs, colleges must certify that they do not support, promote, or maintain offices related to DEI. The bill requires institutions to provide documentation upon request and outlines an appeals process for schools that lose funding. The Secretary of Education is tasked with enforcing the policy through regulation.

H.R.899 —To terminate the Department of Education.

Sponsor: Rep. Massie [R-KY]
Introduced: 01/31/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would terminate the Department of Education. 

H.R.713 — Preventing Financial Exploitation in Higher Education Act

Sponsor: Rep. Van Duyne [R-TX]
Introduced: 01/23/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The bill proposes penalties for institutions based on their cohort default rates, cohort delinquency rates, and cohort underpayment rates. For fiscal year 2025, institutions with a cohort default rate of 11% or higher would face a penalty equal to 30% of the total outstanding balance of principal and interest on affected loans.

H.R.632/S.207— Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Roy [R-TX]/Sen. Daines [R-MT]
Introduced: 01/22/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit federal funding for any higher education institution that hosts or is affiliated with a school-based health clinic providing abortion drugs or performing abortions. To remain eligible for federal funds, such institutions must submit an annual report certifying compliance. The bill specifies that "school-based service sites" include campus health clinics but exclude hospitals.

H.R.542 — No Foreign Gifts Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Torres [D-NY]
Introduced: 01/16/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the Higher Education Act (HEA) and would prohibit institutions from receiving gifts from countries that have provided material support to foreign terrorist organizations, as determined by the Secretary of State. Institutions would also be prohibited from receiving gifts from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran. Institutions that want to receive funding under the HEA must report to the Secretary of State any instance in which the institution is offered a gift from the entities outlined in the bill.

H.R.455 — Protecting Higher Education from Foreign Threats Act

Sponsor: Rep. Steube [R-FL]
Introduced: 01/15/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit federal funding for colleges and universities that employ instructors funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under the bill, any institution employing a CCP-funded instructor—defined as anyone teaching students while receiving direct or indirect financial support from the CCP—would be ineligible for federal financial assistance.

H.R.369 — States’ Education Reclamation Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Rouzer [R-NC]
Introduced: 01/13/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would eliminate the Department of Education, asserting that educational authority should reside with states and local communities. The bill outlines the transfer of existing federal education programs to other departments: job training programs to the Department of Labor, special education grants to the Department of Health and Human Services, Indian education programs to the Department of the Interior, Impact Aid programs to the Department of Defense, and federal student aid programs to the Department of the Treasury. Within 90 days of enactment, the Government Accountability Office is required to evaluate the feasibility of enhancing state and local education funding by reducing federal taxes and eliminating federal education grants.

S.5384 — Returning Education to Our States Act

Sponsor: Sen. Rounds [R-SD]
Introduced: 11/21/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would abolish the Department of Education, transferring its programs to other federal agencies, such as the Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, and the Interior. It establishes block grants for states to manage elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education funding, with requirements for compliance and accountability. Federal civil rights laws related to education would be enforced by the Department of Justice. This bill aims to decentralize federal education responsibilities to states and other agencies.

S.4302 — No Higher education Assistance for Mobs of Antisemitic and terrorist Sympathizing Students Act

Sponsor: Sen. Tillis [R-NC]
Introduced: 05/09/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit individuals convicted of any offense under state or federal law related to participation in campus-based protest from receiving federal student financial assistance. Participant activity must involve unlawful assembly, rioting, trespassing, or property damage on the identified campus. 

S.4295 — Encampments or Endowments Act

Sponsor: Sen. Vance [R-OH]
Introduced: 05/09/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit institutions of higher education that fail to disperse permanent encampments from receiving federal funding. The bill defines an encampment as an establishment of tents, shacks, or other structures containing personal belongings on the institution’s campus with the intent of temporary or permanent habitability. Occupants need not be affiliated with the institution. However, institutions will be ineligible for Title IV programs should they fail to remove encampments obstructing student access and core institutional functioning. The Department of Education (ED) will continue to receive and process FAFSA applications for current and returning students at disqualified schools, However, those institutions will be subject to an excise tax equal to 50 percent of the aggregate fair market value of the assets held at the end of the preceding taxable year. Institutions may reapply for federal funding after five years of declared ineligibility to be considered by ED.

S. 4115 — Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act

Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy [R-LA]
Introduced: 04/11/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the HEA and prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving federal financial assistance and participating in federal student loan programs if they adopt certain policies relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill would allow certain exemptions and protections, such as allowing medical schools to provide instruction on unique medical needs related to a student’s sex, race, or other characteristics.

H.R. 7880 — Accountability in Student Loan Data Act of 2024

Sponsor: Rep. Porter [D-CA]
Introduced: 04/05/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would change how cohort default rates are determined. For fiscal year 2023 and every following fiscal year, students in nonmandatory forbearance for 18-36 months are not counted as entering repayment for the respective fiscal year. Students will be counted as entering repayment for the first fiscal year they are no longer in forbearance and meet repayment requirements. Students in forbearance for three or more years will be counted as in default and will be included in the institution’s total number of students in default. The cohort default rate will be determined by multiplying the percentage of students enrolled at the institution for the respective fiscal year and will be referred to as the “adjusted cohort default rate.” The bill would also penalize institutions with a certain percentage of graduates who default on their federal loans by not allowing the institution to participate in certain programs. 

H.R. 7804 — Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Coordination Improvement Act

Sponsor: Rep. Jackson [D-NC]
Introduced: 03/22/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would establish the Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Coordination Committee which would be composed of representatives from various federal entities, tasked with improving enforcement of federal laws, increasing accountability of proprietary institutions of higher education, ensuring quality education programs, and preventing fraud and abuse by proprietary institutions. In coordination with the committee, ED would be responsible for establishing a telephone number, website, and database to collect and monitor student complaints against proprietary institutions. The bill also calls for the annual publication of a "For-Profit College Warning List for Parents and Students" listing institutions with legal issues or eligibility concerns regarding federal education assistance.

H.R. 7725 — Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act

Sponsor: Rep. Murphy [R-NC]
Introduced: 03/19/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the HEA and prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving federal financial assistance and participating in federal student loan programs if they adopt certain policies relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill would allow certain exemptions and protections, such as allowing medical schools to provide instruction on unique medical needs related to a student’s sex, race, or other characteristics. 

H.R. 7712/S.3978 — College Employment Accountability Act

Sponsor: Banks [Rep./R-IN]/Vance [Sen.R-OH]
Introduced: 03/19/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the HEA and prohibit institutions of higher education from receiving federal funds for student assistance or institutional aid if they employ undocumented and unlawful individuals. The bill would also require that institutions of higher education participate in the E-Verify Program in order to be eligible for federal funds. 

S. 3727 — Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act

Sponsor: Sen. Durbin [D-IL]
Introduced: 2/01/2024
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill establishes the Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Committee to improve the coordination of federal oversight of proprietary higher education institutions. This bill calls for the creation of a system that would allow students, parents, and other stakeholders to submit misconduct complaints against for-profit colleges. The committee would be required to submit an annual report to Congress outlining a summary of the complaints received, resolved, or pending against for-profit colleges and any recommendations the committee has for holding for-profit colleges accountable. Additionally, the committee would also be responsible for creating and publishing a “For-ProfIt College Warning List for Parents and Students,” to help students make informed decisions in regards to what their options are for receiving post-secondary education. 

S. 3380 — Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons (PREP) Act

Sponsor: Sen. Schatz [D-HI]
Introduced: 11/30/2023
NASFAA Summary and Analysis: This bill would establish an Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons and among other functions, the Office would be responsible for standardizing education programs in all federal prisons and correctional institutions. It would also provide training and technical assistance to state prison systems. This bill would also establish the Federal Prison Education Program to create partnerships between federal correctional institutions and education providers to create and provide quality educational programs. 

S. 3355 — Changing Our Learning, Loans, Endowments, and Graduation Expectations (COLLEGE) Act

Sponsor: Sen. Scott [R-FL]
Introduced: 11/29/2023
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require institutions with large endowments who participate in federal financial aid programs to cover a percentage of the cost of attendance of each enrolled full-time student. The greater the endowment of the institution, the higher the percentage they will be required to cover. This bill would require that these institutions collect and submit data to the ED relating to things such as cost of attendance, if the COA has increased throughout from the previous year, the amount of money in their endowment, and if the endowment has increased. The institutions will also be required to submit data to ED for purposes of program integrity. 

H.R. 6259 — Student Records Protection Act

Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright [D-PA]
Introduced: 11/07/2023
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges and universities to establish record-management plans in order to be eligible for accreditation. These record management plans would be designed to provide for the custody, continued access, and disposition of student records, including student transcripts, billing, and financial aid records. 

H.R.4900/S.2524 — Fair College Admissions for Students Act 

Sponsor: Bowman [Rep.-D-NY] & Merkley [Sen.-D-OR]
Introduced: 07/26/2023
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would prohibit institutions receiving Title IV funds from giving preference to students in the admissions process based on their relationships to donors or alumni of the institution.

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