The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Appropriations Update
Department of Education Announces Plan to Launch Rulemaking on College Oversight System
Department of Education Seeks More Time on Student Loan Forgiveness Decision for Students Impacted by Fraud

The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE

Last week, the House advanced the remaining FY26 funding bills and, through a procedural move, bundled the six remaining bills into one package for Senate consideration. The Senate was originally scheduled for votes on Monday after its return from recess, but winter weather led to a reschedule. Before the Senate can advance the package and send it to President Donald Trump's desk for signature, it will have to navigate a potential sticking point in the funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Senators will need to pass the package by this Friday, January 30th, to avoid a partial government shutdown.

Appropriations Update

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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCES PLAN TO LAUNCH RULEMAKING ON COLLEGE OVERSIGHT SYSTEM

The Department of Education announced Monday its plans to amend regulations around the college oversight system this spring. The Department plans to form a new Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee. According to reporting from Inside Higher Ed, it will review accreditor recognition rules, consider changes related to institutional mission and values and examine requirements for tracking student outcomes without using race, ethnicity or sex. It will also explore proposals to emphasize “intellectual diversity” among faculty. The group is scheduled to meet April 13-17 and May 18-22.

Department Announcement

DEPARTMENT SEEKS MORE TIME ON STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS DECISION FOR STUDENTS IMPACTED BY FRAUD

The Department of Education has asked a federal court for more time to meet a Jan. 28 deadline to decide on loan program Borrower Defense applications, which must otherwise be automatically approved if not processed. In its filing, the Department said staffing shortages and delayed funding have made it difficult to review all pending claims. According to POLITICO Pro, officials estimated that automatic approval of unprocessed applications could result in roughly $6 billion in loan discharges.

Government Relations Resources

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