"The U.S. Department of Education is planning policy and regulatory changes to smooth the pathway for college mergers and acquisitions, Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said Tuesday during the annual National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conference," Higher Ed Dive reports.

..."In certain situations, a college’s programs that consistently fail to meet the earnings threshold will also risk losing access to Pell Grants."

"'What the American people expect is that if their son or daughter enrolled in college, they believe that they should be slightly better off than if they had never enrolled in the first place,' Kent told conference attendees on Tuesday. 'I think it’s a pretty low bar, to be honest.'"

... "Kent called the ruling a “flawed outcome” on Tuesday."

"'She, I don’t think, had the benefit of really understanding the nuances within the rule,' Kent said of the judge in the case."

"He added that the department would now have the time to 'really educate the court on how we developed this definition in such a way that she may feel more comfortable moving forward.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 6/30/2026