The DC Digest

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

House Passes DETERRENT Act
U.S. Department of Education Opens Revised Income-Driven Repayment Plan and Loan Consolidation Applications for Borrowers
DOJ to Probe Stanford, UC Schools Over Admission Practices
Department of Education Revokes State Waivers for Programs Supporting Undocumented Students
HHS Department Announces Restructuring Plans
Cabinet-Level Updates
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The Highlights 📰

Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes

The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

HOUSE PASSES DETERRENT ACT

The House passed the "Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act," or the DETERRENT Act yesterday in a 241 to 169 vote. 31 Democrats voted yes, with all but one Republican. As we mentioned when it advanced out of the Education and Workforce Committee last month, this legislation aims to tighten the disclosure requirements for U.S. higher education institutions that get funds from foreign governments. Several higher education associations wrote their own or signed on to joint letters expressing the higher education community’s concerns about the bill.

At the time of this writing, the Senate has not released its version of the bill. However, it is expected that Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) will introduce a companion bill similar to the one he introduced during the previous congress.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REOPENS APPLICATIONS FOR IDR PLANS

This week, the Department of Education has reopened applications for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for federal student loan borrowers, allowing individuals to make payments based on their income. Previously, the Trump administration had paused the online IDR application in response to a court injunction related to the Biden administration’s SAVE plan. After legal challenges, the application process has been restored, and borrowers can now apply for income-based repayment, Pay As You Earn, or income-contingent repayment plans.

Reopening Repayment Plans

DOJ TO PROBE STANFORD, UC SCHOOL SYSTEM OVER ADMISSION PRACTICES

The Department of Justice has opened investigations into the admissions policies at Stanford University and three University of California campuses—UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine—following the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Attorney General Pam Bondi has tasked the Civil Rights Division with determining whether these institutions’ policies comply with the ruling.

DOJ Probe

Immigration

The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REVOKING WAIVERS FOR PROGRAMS SUPPORTING UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS

On Thursday, the Department of Education announced it is revoking waivers granted to colleges in California and Oregon, which allowed them to use federal funds from the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3) program to support undocumented immigrants. The P3 program is intended to assist at-risk youth, not to provide services to individuals considered "illegal immigrants," according to the Department. Under the Biden administration, these waivers had allowed institutions to use federal funds for undocumented students, but the waivers are now being rescinded.

Waivers Revoked

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

HHS ANNOUNCES AGENCY RESTRUCTURING PLANS

This week Trump administration announced a major restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes reducing the number of divisions from 28 to 15. The reorganization also includes the creation of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), which officials say will streamline chronic care and disease prevention programs.

HHS Restructuring

Trump Administration

CABINET-LEVEL UPDATES

Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to be the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Makary as Commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Also confirmed this week: former North Carolina Representative Dan Bishop to serve in the No. 2 position at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

For the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), President Donald Trump announced Acting Director Susan Monarez as his new nominee pick to serve as the director.

In other related news, the Trump administration announced this week that he would pull the nomination of Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to serve as the Ambassador to the United Nations. At this time, the nominee replacement has not been announced.

Post of the Week!

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