Education Secretary announces modernization steps for Federal Student Aid

The Biden-Harris Administration has extended the deadline for student borrowers to apply for loan consolidation, giving them until June 30 to do so. This extension comes as part of an update on the timing of the payment count adjustment, a mechanism designed to ensure that borrowers receive proper credit for progress made toward income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced new measures to enhance access to school-based mental health services. These actions include: (1) nearly doubling investments in the U.S. Department of Education’s School-Based Mental Health Services and Mental Health Service Professionals grant programs for the current fiscal year; (2) additional investments through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to improve student and educator mental health and wellbeing; and (3) offering new mental health and wellbeing training and...

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has announced the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars, honoring 161 high school seniors for their achievements in academics, arts, and career and technical education fields.

The U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today released a Dear Colleague Letter to schools specifying with concrete examples the application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allegations of discrimination in schools based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including discrimination against students and school community members who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, or Palestinian.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced additional steps to support students and their families with the Better FAFSA. The Department is launching a multi-million-dollar program as part of the FAFSA Student Support Strategy to help school districts, state, nonprofits and other public and private organizations with efforts to boost FAFSA completion. Since the new 2024–25 FAFSA form became available on Dec. 30, more than 8.95 million forms have been successfully submitted.

The Biden-Harris Administration has released new data on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) approvals in every Congressional District, showcasing the significant progress made in providing relief to borrowers. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona highlighted the impact of this effort, stating, “As we honor our nation’s teachers, we also celebrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic work to help ease the burden of student loans for educators as well as for nurses, firefighters, and other public service workers in every single part of the country.”The data...

On May 1, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the approval of a $6.1 billion group student loan discharge for 317,000 borrowers who attended The Art Institutes. This action brings the total approved debt cancellation under the Biden Administration to nearly $160 billion for almost 4.6 million borrowers.U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona expressed, "For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of hopeful students borrowed billions to attend The Art Institutes and got little but lies in return. That ends today—thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's...

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has announced the completion of reprocessing 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) forms affected by known issues with IRS data, allowing institutions to now package financial aid offers. Additionally, applicants and contributors without a Social Security number (SSN) can now access and submit the online form immediately.U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal expressed optimism about the progress made, stating, “It’s time for schools to package and send aid offers, and for all new and returning...

In 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) documented a significant increase in the number of unique book titles targeted for censorship in public libraries and schools. The figure rose to 4,240 from 2,571 in 2022, marking a 65% spike and the highest number ever recorded by the ALA.

The child care industry in the U.S. is grappling with a crisis characterized by an underpaid and undervalued workforce, coupled with a shortage of service providers leading to the emergence of "child care deserts." State governors have recognized this issue and many are initiating measures to address it, as per research conducted by the Center for American Progress (CAP).

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a reminder to schools nationwide, urging them to be vigilant against discriminatory practices aimed at Muslim, Hindu, Palestinian and Arab students. This reminder was circulated in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter.

The U.S. Department of Education has imposed a $14 million fine on a Christian-based university for its failure to disclose information pertinent to sexual assault survivors and crime. The department has stated that this is the most significant violation of the Clery Act, legislation mandating that institutions of higher education publicize issues related to public safety.

The upper Columbia River site in northeast Washington is potentially on the path to be included in the National Priorities List (NPL). This would result in the river being added to a hazardous waste site list and qualifying for cleanup funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund Program.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is launching an initiative to increase the number of mental health professionals available to students nationwide. The department is currently accepting applications for the School-Based Mental Health and Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant, aiming to improve school-based mental health services.

The termination of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding in September 2024 could potentially lead to substantial budget deficits in numerous school districts across the country. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the COVID-era program may expire with unutilized funds.