One Big Beautiful Bill Act News Coverage
Stay up-to-date on the latest news coverage from NASFAA about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3 or OBBBA), sometimes also referred to as the "Working Families Tax Cuts" Act.
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COD Creates Manual Fix for Rejected Dual Degree Student Records
September 30, 2026 - On Tuesday, Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) officials acknowledged, via the FSATech email listserv, an issue identified by several NASFAA member institutions who had been unable to disburse federal loan funds for students enrolled in dual d... -
Expected Time to Credential Q&A
September 17, 2026 - NASFAA has received a significant number of questions from members seeking clarification on calculating the “expected time to credential” (ETTC) exception to the statutory loan limits imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Thi... -
Experts Gather to Discuss Student and Institutional Impact of New Graduate Student Loan Caps
September 2, 2026 - A group of higher education experts gathered on Tuesday for an afternoon of panel discussions that evaluated several aspects of how graduate education is changing under the implementation of new graduate student loan caps of the One Big Beautiful Bil... -
Congressional Democrats Call on ED to Issue Additional Formal Guidance on Loan Proration
August 21, 2026 - A group of 16 Congressional Democrats are urging the Department of Education (ED) to issue additional formal guidance with specific scenarios for institutions regarding the new requirement to prorate loans for students enrolled on a less than full-ti... -
Third Lawsuit Challenges RISE Rule’s Professional Degree Definition
August 17, 2026 - A coalition of four labor unions filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED) last week, adding a third legal challenge to the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee’s final rule definition of “profession... -
Reports Indicate PSLF Data Errors Have Resulted in Inaccurate Payment Counts
August 16, 2026 - In recent weeks, a reported data error has prompted the Department of Education (ED) to update its messaging for certain Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) borrowers, indicating that “payment counts may shift or appear incomplete.” Ac... -
ED Changes Guidance on Calculating Expected Time to Credential
August 14, 2026 - During the webinar on August 12th, Implementation of New Loan Limits and Interim Exception for Continuing Students, ED staff instructed schools to use credits instead of time as the basis of calculating Expected Time to Credential (ETTC), a key compo... -
ED Releases Formal Guidance on Schedule of Reductions
August 7, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) released long-awaited formal guidance this week on how financial aid administrators should reduce annual loan limits for less-than-full-time enrollment using the Schedule of Reductions (SOR). -
ED Approves First Workforce Pell Program
August 6, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) this week announced that it approved the nation’s first Workforce Pell Grant program at Iowa Central Community College, roughly a year after the program was established through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB... -
Court Sets Schedule in State-Led Professional Degree Definition Lawsuit, Second Case Challenging RISE Rule
July 31, 2026 - Back in May, a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia (plaintiffs) sued the Department of Education (ED) over the RISE Final Rule's definition of "professional degree." The states argued that by limiting the higher $50,000 annual/$200,00... -
Court Sets Schedule for Professional Degree Definition Lawsuit, Case to Continue Through At Least December
July 20, 2026 - The court overseeing the nurse practitioner (NP) and physician associate (PA) groups' (plaintiffs) lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED), challenging ED’s definition of a professional degree under the RISE final rule, has set a brief... -
NASFAA 2026 Virtual Summit: Working Through ED’s Accountability Framework
July 17, 2026 - The Department of Education’s (ED) extensive rulemaking agenda has created a flurry of new regulations that took effect earlier this month. -
NASFAA 2026 Virtual Summit: Examining the Future of Higher Education Amid OBBBA Implementation, Midterm Elections, and Other Challenges Ahead
July 15, 2026 - After a difficult year following the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), NASFAA President and CEO Melanie Storey sat down with Jon Fansmith of the American Council on Education (ACE) at NASFAA’s 2026 Virtual Summit. -
ED Adds Professional Degree CIP Codes for Nursing, Psychology
July 10, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) has revised Electronic Announcement (EA) (GENERAL 26-42), updating the list of Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes temporarily eligible for professional degree loan limits by adding degree programs no... -
'July 1 Is Really the Starting Gun of a Marathon:' NASFAA Discusses Implementation of OBBBA and What Lies Ahead for Financial Aid Profession
July 8, 2026 - NASFAA President and CEO Melanie Storey joined the American Council on Education (ACE) for a conversation about how financial aid offices are implementing several provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and what the profession is lookin... -
Parties Seek Extension in Professional Student Definition Lawsuit
July 8, 2026 - The parties in the nurse practitioner (NP) and physician associate (PA) groups' lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED) have jointly asked the court for a one-week extension to propose a hearing schedule. -
NASFAA’s Policy Session Dives Into OBBBA Implementation, Congressional Dynamics, and ED’s Priorities for Student Aid
July 6, 2026 - To round out the NASFAA 2026 National Conference, attendees heard from NASFAA’s policy team, which explained where things stand on the implementation OBBBA, congressional dynamics, and NASFAA’s continued engagement in the policy space. -
Department of Education Officials Talk Post-July 1 Student Aid Landscape at NASFAA 2026
July 1, 2026 - Officials from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) joined the NASFAA 2026 National Conference just one day before monumental federal student aid policy changes take effect. -
ED Publishes Final Regulations Implementing OBBBA Accountability Framework
July 1, 2026 - The Department of Education on Wednesday released its final rule covering the new STATS framework. Most changes are effective July 1, 2027, with an option for early implementation beginning July 1, 2026. -
Following Legal Action, ED Temporarily Adds New CIP Codes Eligible for Professional Degree Designation, Removes Others
June 30, 2026 - Less than a week after a federal court temporarily halted key parts of the ED's narrowed professional degree definition, ED issued an Electronic Announcement clarifying how schools should treat professional degree programs for loan limit purposes. -
ED Outlines Guidance on Institutional Authority to Set Program-Level Loan Limits
June 29, 2026 - The Department of Education on Friday released a Dear Colleague Letter reminding institutions of their new authority, effective July 1, 2026, to establish lower annual loan limits for specific programs through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. -
ED's Updated PSLF Form Request Adds Urgency to Court Challenge
June 26, 2026 - With July 1 just under a week away, a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s new PSLF employer eligibility rule has gained urgency in the past week. -
Court Temporarily Pauses Key Parts of Professional Student Definition Days Before July 1 Effective Date
June 25, 2026 - A federal court has temporarily halted the implementation of a portion of the ED's narrowed professional degree definition from its RISE final rule, just days before the rule was set to take effect on July 1, 2026. -
ED Confirms No Resolution Required for Comment Code 352
June 9, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED), in an electronic announcement on Tuesday, explained that, effective immediately, institutions should disregard the FPS C Flag associated with Comment Code 352 while the department updates its logic to ensure that the... -
ED Provides Schedule and Links for Upcoming OBBBA Webinars and Virtual Office Hours
May 26, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) provided details last week about four upcoming webinars and over a dozen virtual office hours related to the implementation of final rules related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). -
ED Publishes FAQ Addressing New OBBBA Loan Limits, Questions Remain
May 22, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) released a FAQ document on Thursday, addressing the new loan limits established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which take effect July 1, 2026. The document covers six topic areas: eligibility for the in... -
Coalition of 25 States Sue ED Over OBBBA Loan Limits, Claim New Rule Will Worsen Workforce Shortages
May 20, 2026 - A coalition of 25 states on Tuesday sued the Department of Education (ED) over its final rule implementing new student loan limits enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), claiming that this rule will price many students out of entering ... -
NASFAA Deep Dive: ED Releases Final Rule for Pell Grant Provisions of OBBBA
May 20, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED), on Tuesday, released its final rule covering the Pell Grant changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which ED noted it will now refer to as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTCA). -
McMahon Testifies on Trump’s FY 2027 Budget Request, OBBBA Implementation, and 'Dismantling' ED
May 15, 2026 - Education Secretary Linda McMahon fielded questions before the House Education & Workforce Committee on Thursday, covering a broad range of education issues. -
Lawmakers Introduce Resolution to Rescind OBBBA Student Loan Rule
May 11, 2026 - A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced a bicameral resolution to rescind the Department of Education’s (ED) recent final rule governing student loan provisions enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). -
‘This Is a National Problem:’ Under a Compressed Timeline, Schools With Summer Programs Are Struggling to Implement New Financial Aid Regulations
May 6, 2026 - With the start of the 2026-27 award year just under two months away, and final regulations being issued just last week, schools across the country are struggling to implement the sweeping changes made under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), pro... -
McMahon Defends President Trump’s FY 27 Budget Request at Senate Appropriations Hearing
April 29, 2026 - Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended President Donald Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request at a Senate appropriations hearing on Tuesday. -
ED Issues Proposed Regulations for New STATS Earnings Accountability Framework
April 21, 2026 - On Monday, the Department of Education (ED) released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) with proposed regulations on the new Student Tuition and Transparency System and Earnings Accountability (STATS) framework. -
In a Reversal, ED Says Graduate PLUS Loans Will Count Toward New Lifetime Borrowing Limit
April 20, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) on Monday revised its previous guidance, now stating that Graduate PLUS loans will be included in the new $257,500 lifetime borrowing limit established through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), NASFAA has learne... -
Report: Nearly 40% of Americans Would Be Denied a Private Student Loan
April 13, 2026 - As new limits on student loans are set to be enacted in the coming months under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a new report is examining the practices of private student loan lenders, warning that 40% of Americans would likely be denied a pr... -
ED Announces Upcoming FAFSA System Updates Related to OBBBA
March 11, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) published an electronic announcement Monday, detailing upcoming changes to several Federal Student Aid (FSA) systems to support the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility for eligible workforce programs and revised limit... -
FSA’s Federal Update Details New Webinar Series and Works Through OBBBA Provisions
March 9, 2026 - The Federal Student Aid (FSA) training conference in Washington, D.C., wrapped up its in-person convening on Friday and provided attendees with more information and additional resources to help with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) implementati... -
FSA Training Conference Commits to Another ‘Early December’ In Person Conference and Provides Updates on Workforce Pell, OBBBA, and More
March 6, 2026 - During the second day of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) training conference in Washington, D.C., leadership from the Department of Education (ED) provided attendees with more details on Workforce Pell Grants, additional updates on the One Big Beautifu... -
McMahon Recounts First Year Priorities, FAFSA Launch, Focus on ROI, OBBBA Implementation, and More During FSA’s In-Person Conference
March 5, 2026 - The Federal Student Aid (FSA) training conference in Washington, D.C., kicked off its first session on Wednesday, marking its first in-person convening since 2019. The first day’s session covered a range of topics, including: loan changes made ... -
White Paper: Additional Actions Need to Be Taken to Reform Graduate Education Financing
March 3, 2026 - After the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which made several sweeping changes to the federal student loan program, a new white paper examines what additional steps institutions and state and federal policymakers need to take to e... -
New Analysis Looks at How OBBBA Will Impact Government Costs of Federal Student Loans
February 18, 2026 - A new analysis examines how the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will reduce the government's costs for federal student loan programs, in part due to the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and the elimination of the Graduate ... -
Senate Democrats Release Report About OBBBA Impact on Private Student Loan Lenders
February 12, 2026 - A group of Senate Democrats last week released a report analyzing how new provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will increase demand for private student loans and calling for greater oversight of the private lending market. -
NASFAA Participates in Panel on New Professional Degree Definition
February 12, 2026 - On Tuesday, NASFAA’s director of policy analysis, Jill Desjean, participated in a congressional briefing hosted by the American Council on Education focused on the Department of Education’s (ED) negotiated rulemaking for the federal stude... -
After Passage of OBBBA, Lawmakers Debate Solutions to Counter Increasing College Costs
February 5, 2026 - Congressional lawmakers on Wednesday met to discuss how to address the issue of rising college costs, with House Republicans touting numerous changes made under the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and its impact on higher educatio... -
Deep Dive: Understanding Analyses of New Accountability Frameworks Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
February 4, 2026 - Several groups and scholars have offered analyses of how individual institutions and their programs may be affected by One Big Beautiful Bill Act's (OBBBA) new accountability framework once implementation begins in 2026. Below, we highlight a fe... -
ED Publishes NPRM to Implement Student Loan Changes Enacted Under OBBBA
January 30, 2026 - The Department of Education (ED) today published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement statutory changes to the federal student loan programs enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). -
Involuntary Collections on Defaulted Student Loans Delayed While ED Rolls Out OBBBA
January 16, 2026 - Defaulted student loan borrowers will not be subject to involuntary collections while the Department of Education (ED) rolls out provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which significantly reshape the student loan program through the ... -
Experts Discuss How New Loan Limits Will Impact Students
October 16, 2025 - As both institutions and the Department of Education (ED) parse through the rollout of new loan limits set under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), experts gathered for a panel on Tuesday to discuss what these new loan limits will mean for stude... -
‘This Is a Whole New Territory:’ Neg Reg Committee Makes Progress on Definition of Professional Student
October 2, 2025 - The RISE committee met again on Wednesday for another day of negotiated rulemaking, where officials from the Department of Education reportedly presented negotiators with a compromise offer on its definition of a professional student. -
ED Details 2026-27 FAFSA and Pell Grant Eligibility Changes Due to ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’
August 19, 2025 - The Department of Education (ED) published an electronic announcement on Monday explaining how the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) will impact Pell Grant eligibility and updates to the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation beginning wi... -
Analysis: Many Will Be Shut Out of Graduate Education Due to 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'
August 13, 2025 - The elimination of the Grad PLUS loan program, due to the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will result in many more adults struggling to obtain a private student loan to fund their graduate education, according to a new analysis from The ... -
ED Announces Two Neg Reg Committees Focused on New Provisions Under One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 25, 2025 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday, via the Federal Register, outlined its intent to convene two new negotiated rulemaking (neg reg) committees. -
Effective Upon Enactment: ED Outlines Reconciliation Guidance and Timeline for HEA Updates
July 22, 2025 - The Department of Education (ED) on Friday released guidance through a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” where several provisions became effective immediately following its enactment. -
Trump Signs Sprawling Reconciliation Package Into Law, Here’s How it Impacts Higher Ed
July 7, 2025 - Republicans completed their months-long legislative effort to implement sweeping tax changes through the reconciliation process, with several provisions directly impacting higher education programs. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on ...
