June 3, 2024

K-12 Education

Congress:

Murray, DeLauro Demand Transparency After Trump Administration Fails to Submit Legally Required Agency Spend Plans: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to OMB Director Russ Vought criticizing the Trump administration for failing to comply with Section 1113 of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025. This provision requires federal agencies to submit detailed FY25 spend plans within 45 days of the bill's enactment. As of May 27—four weeks past the deadline—many agencies have either failed to submit plans or submitted incomplete versions. Murray and DeLauro cited concerning examples, including the Department of Health and Human Services' “Hill Version” spend plan, which replaces hundreds of program funding levels with asterisks, and a Department of Education plan that still lists $8 billion in “unallocated” funding. They are demanding the submission of complete, detailed spend plans by the end of the month to enable proper oversight and inform the FY26 appropriations process. (Press Release)



Administration:

Education Department Says New York Mascot Ban Illegally Targets Native Americans: The U.S. Department of Education has determined that New York State’s ban on Native American mascots violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, citing unequal treatment of Indigenous imagery compared to other ethnic-themed mascots such as “Dutchmen” and “Huguenots.” The decision follows a complaint from the Native American Guardians Association and comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to defend what it describes as “cultural heritage” against excessive government regulation. During a visit to Massapequa High School—whose mascot is the “Chiefs”—Secretary of Education Linda McMahon warned state officials to reverse the policy within 10 days or face enforcement action by the Justice Department and the potential loss of federal funding. The ruling highlights the administration’s opposition to what it sees as ideological bias in state education policy and reflects its support for local efforts to preserve Native-themed school mascots. (Press Release)

Education Department Launches Civil Rights Probe into Green Bay Schools Over Alleged Race-Based Special Ed Prioritization: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened a Title VI and disability-discrimination investigation into the Green Bay Area Public School District in Wisconsin. The probe follows allegations that the district denied special education services to a white student with dyslexia while prioritizing services for students of color through the use of racial “priority groups.” The complaint was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor denounced the alleged practice as both unlawful and “patronizing,” stating that educational services for students with disabilities must be based on individual need rather than race. The Trump-McMahon administration has framed the investigation as part of a wider effort to challenge “race-conscious” education policies and has aligned itself with broader legal challenges to affirmative action in K–12 education. (Press Release)

Higher Education

Congressional News:

Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Could Reshape Student Loan Repayment: The House narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget proposal, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which introduces significant reforms to the federal student loan system. The bill would streamline repayment options, consolidating them into two plans for future borrowers. One of these, the new income-based Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), caps monthly payments at 1% to 10% of income and provides loan forgiveness after 30 years. The legislation increases borrowing limits for undergraduates while imposing new caps for graduate students and parents. It also eliminates subsidized loans, removes economic hardship deferments, and limits forbearance options, tightening repayment terms for struggling borrowers. Additionally, the bill restricts future administrations from modifying repayment plans unless it can be proven that such changes would not increase federal costs. It also repeals the gainful employment rule, reducing accountability requirements for colleges regarding graduates' financial outcomes. The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain. (CNBC)

Administration News:

Trump Addresses Concerns Over Chinese Student Visas Amid New Restrictions: President Donald Trump sought to reassure Chinese students studying in the U.S., stating they would be “fine” despite new visa restrictions enacted by his administration. The statement followed an announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the U.S. would begin revoking visas for Chinese nationals with affiliations to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in sensitive academic areas. The administration also plans to enhance screening for all future visa applicants from China and Hong Kong, citing national security concerns. Harvard University has become a focal point in the broader review of foreign influence in U.S. higher education. The federal government has increased vetting of international students and faculty, and placed a freeze on $2.6 billion in federal research funding. Harvard has challenged the freeze in court and secured a temporary injunction. President Trump has also called on the university to limit foreign student enrollment to 15% and to disclose information about Chinese nationals involved in recent campus protests. The Chinese government has condemned these actions as discriminatory. (Bloomberg)

Rubio Orders Social Media Screening For Harvard Foreign National Applicants and Visitors, Citing National Security: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered U.S. consular officers to begin reviewing the social media activity of all foreign nationals applying to visit Harvard University, including students, faculty, and tourists. Under the directive, applicants may be required to make their social media profiles public, and the absence of an online presence could be grounds for visa denial. Rubio said the pilot program is intended to bolster national security screening and may be expanded beyond Harvard. This initiative is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to increase oversight of elite academic institutions. The policy has drawn criticism from civil liberties groups. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called it “egregious and unconstitutional,” while the Electronic Frontier Foundation described it as federal overreach. The State Department declined to comment. Courts have previously blocked efforts to bar international students from attending Harvard. According to federal data, over 1.1 million international students studied in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 academic year. (Bloomberg)

Trump Says Columbia Cooperative, Criticizes Harvard Over Student Scrutiny Dispute: President Donald Trump praised Columbia University’s cooperation with federal investigations, contrasting it with Harvard University’s approach. He stated that Columbia “wants to get to the bottom of the problem,” while accusing Harvard of failing to act “nicely.” His comments reflect the administration’s ongoing dissatisfaction with Harvard’s response to federal scrutiny related to foreign student enrollment and campus activism. These remarks follow a series of policy actions aimed at enhancing oversight of international students at elite universities, including new visa restrictions and expanded vetting procedures. (Bloomberg)

Trump Administration Preparing Additional Actions Against Harvard, Report Says: The Trump administration is reportedly planning further actions against Harvard University, according to Politico, citing administration officials and other sources. These measures could involve multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Justice, State, and Health and Human Services, and may be implemented as early as next month. The reported actions would escalate the administration’s ongoing conflict with Harvard over international student enrollment policies, federal funding, and institutional transparency. (Bloomberg)

DHS Tells Harvard Federal Funding Hinges on Policy Changes: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has notified Harvard University that it must implement significant policy reforms to remain eligible for federal funding. The letter, released by the Department of Homeland Security, was issued in response to Harvard’s expressed intent to comply with federal visa regulations. DHS stated that it will continue to engage with the university in good faith but emphasized that further reforms are necessary for continued federal support. (Bloomberg)

Education Dept. Taps Conservative Scholar to Overhaul Federal Research Arm: The U.S. Department of Education has appointed Dr. Amber Northern as Senior Advisor to lead reforms at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), citing the agency’s shortcomings in delivering classroom-relevant research in the wake of pandemic-related learning loss. Northern, currently on leave from the conservative-leaning Fordham Institute, has been tasked with “re-envisioning” IES and steering it away from what the Department called “politically charged” topics. The move aligns with the administration’s broader push to return education authority to the states and promote greater transparency in educational data. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon praised Northern’s background in education statistics and expressed confidence in her ability to refocus IES on “reliable and innovative” resources for schools. (Press Release)



Education Dept. Uncovers $90M In Student Aid Fraud, Targets Dead Recipients and Immigration Loopholes: The U.S. Department of Education has identified nearly $90 million in improper federal student aid disbursements, including payments to deceased individuals and ineligible immigration parolees. Secretary Linda McMahon said the findings highlight the need to “rehabilitate” the student loan portfolio and protect taxpayers, referencing what she described as the Biden administration’s “illegal student loan bailout agenda.” The Department has resumed key oversight tools such as NSLDS® post-screening and FAFSA fraud detection and is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to improve data sharing. The Office of Federal Student Aid has increased fraud prevention efforts, with a focus on enhanced identity verification to prevent future misuse. (Press Release)