The U.S. Department of Education (ED) was established by the Department of Education Organization Act (DEOA, P.L. 96-88) on October 17, 1979, to "ensure that education issues receive proper treatment at the Federal level" and to "enable the Federal Government to coordinate its education activities more effectively." ED…

Institutions of higher education (IHE) that are eligible to participate in Title IV programs do so under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). When an IHE stops participating in Title IV programs, closes or otherwise ceases to participate either voluntarily or involuntarily, they must have a close-out audit performed on their unaudited Title IV…

Negotiated rulemaking (neg-reg) has now been used by administrations of both parties to enact major changes to Department of Education rules. The goal of neg-reg is consensus, and the agency's proposals and the conversations during the rulemaking sessions naturally determine whether that goal will be achievable with the parties at the table. To…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act made several changes to the FAFSA, including changing the formula for determining student financial assistance need and simplifying the application. The rollout of the redesigned 2024-2025 FAFSA application encountered issues that affected students' ability to apply for aid.…

This report provides a brief summary of the status of FY2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) appropriations as of the cover date of this report. It also provides background on the scope of the LHHS bill generally and the context for congressional appropriations decisions, including the submission of the President's budget…

Congress enacted section 117 of the Higher Education Act, as amended, (Section 117) mandating financial transparency of institutions of higher education (institution) through required reporting of gifts from and contracts with a foreign source. Applicable institutions must file a disclosure report by one of the two annual reporting deadlines,…

The Department of Defense (DOD) offers education and training to foreign military personnel--known as international military students--at United States (U.S.) DOD sites. After a student killed 3 people at a base in Florida in 2019, questions were raised about personnel safety at DOD sites hosting students for training. The William M. (Mac)…

The federal government provides varying types of support to postsecondary students and schools, including student financial assistance (e.g., Pell Grants and Direct Loans) authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Postsecondary schools seeking to participate in these federal programs must meet a variety of requirements,…

Under section 1001 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA), the purpose of the Title I, Part A program (Title I, Part A) is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education as well as to close educational achievement gaps. The…

This primer summarizes the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA), the Educational Technical Assistance Act (ETAA), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPAA). The report is organized in a manner that aligns with P.L. 107-279, the law that enacted the three acts. The ESRA authorizes much of the federal…

Background: The purpose of this study was to increase the body of knowledge regarding the workplace discrimination experiences of individuals with disabilities residing in the Pacific and Northwest (PNW) regions by exploring their allegations filed under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Objective: The goals of this article are…

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal financial assistance, including college athletics programs. Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing Title IX by investigating complaints, negotiating agreements with colleges to address concerns, and monitoring agreements. US…

Over the last 3 decades, the Direct Loan program has grown in size and complexity, with over $1.3 trillion in outstanding loans as of September 2023. This program provides financial assistance to help students and their parents pay for postsecondary education. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review issues related to…

In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most significant decisions that promises to reshape governance in education: "Loper." The case overruled "Chevron," a landmark case that required courts to defer to administrative agency interpretations of the law when (a) such laws were ambiguous and (b) the interpretations…

Created in 1994 through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) by the Improving America's Schools Act and expanded through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program was reauthorized in 2015 in Title IV, Part B of the ESEA by…