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U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule to Make Higher Education More Affordable and Simplify Student Loan Repayment

U.S. Department of Education  January 29, 2026 The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at reducing the cost of higher education and simplifying federal student loan repayment, as outlined in President Trump’s historic Working Families Tax Cuts Act (the Act). Last summer, Congress passed necessary changes to the […]

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Bachelor’s degrees at community colleges: Lawmakers say yes, UC and CSU say slow down

Cal Matters Mikhail Zinshteyn January 28, 2026 In the past two years, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed three bills that would have allowed community colleges to award students more bachelor’s degrees. Unfazed, lawmakers are now backing a fourth bill that does much of the same. The measure, Assembly Bill 664, cleared its first legislative tests by passing […]

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Commentary How OBBBA reshapes student lending

Brookings January 28, 2026 This document provides a detailed overview of how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)—passed into law in the summer of 2025 and set to take effect in just a few short months—changed higher education financing. It describes the state of student lending at the time of its passage, analyzes how […]

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At CHEA, Kent Blames Accreditors for Higher Ed’s Woes

Inside Higher Ed Josh Moody January 28, 2026 The education undersecretary argued that accreditors have largely failed to hold colleges accountable and pledged to make reforms. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump called accreditation his “secret weapon.” Now, a year into his second term, education under secretary Nicholas Kent is the one wielding that […]

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