Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Collecting ACTS Data for Public Institutions in 17 States
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
A federal judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from collecting Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) data from public institutions in 17 states that were named in a lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED).
Earlier in March, a group of 17 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against ED and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), arguing that the ACTS reporting requirement was rushed, created a “considerable” burden for institutions, and cited issues regarding student privacy. States included in the lawsuit are Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Since then, the lawsuit has had multiple updates in the past month, impacting institutions across the nation – even institutions not covered in the lawsuit.
In the latest update, District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on Friday ordered a preliminary injunction blocking ED from collecting ACTS reporting data, writing in his order that the Trump administration’s process of collecting the ACTS data was “rushed and chaotic.” The injunction blocks ED from collecting ACTS data and enforcing its institutional reporting deadline, which was originally March 18.
“The principal problem, then, lies not in the basic authority of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to collect, analyze, and make use of the data,” Saylor wrote in his order. “Rather, it arises from the rushed and chaotic manner in which the ACTS was promulgated. The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements.”
Saylor's injunction only impacts public institutions within the 17 states named in the lawsuit. Institutions not covered in this lawsuit are still required to submit their ACTS reporting. Here’s where the ACTS deadlines currently stand, and for which institutions:
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On March 31, Saylor issued an order extending the ACTS reporting deadline to April 14 for institutions that are members of American Association of Universities (AAU) and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM).
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For institutions that are private and/or not located in the 17 states, and are not members AAU and AICUM, their ACTS reporting deadline was March 31.
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Additionally, institutions had the option to request a reporting deadline extension from NCES to Wednesday, April 8, provided they met certain criteria.
Another court date for this lawsuit is scheduled for Monday, April 13. Stay tuned to Today’s News for more updates on this lawsuit and the status of ACTS reporting.
Publication Date: 4/7/2026
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