News and reports from the Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that the San Diego Unified School District in California has entered into a resolution agreement to address violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The agreement also resolves concerns about the district’s compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota has entered into an agreement to ensure compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 concerning its high school athletics programs. The OCR investigation examined whether the district effectively accommodated female students' interests and abilities in interscholastic athletics and provided equal competitive and practice facilities, as well as locker rooms.

The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has announced the 2024 cohort of HBCU Scholars. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program, with 110 students from 77 HBCUs selected for their academic achievements, leadership potential, and community dedication.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form will be launched through a new process. Starting on October 1, the Department will release the 2025-26 FAFSA form for testing with a limited set of students and institutions. The application will be made available to all students on or before December 1. This decision follows extensive conversations and feedback from thousands of students, institutions, and other stakeholders.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that Drexel University in Pennsylvania has entered into a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) when responding to allegations of discrimination or harassment based on national origin, including shared Jewish ancestry.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced the next step in providing student debt relief to tens of millions of borrowers this fall. Beginning tomorrow, the U.S. Department of Education will email all borrowers with at least one outstanding federally held student loan to provide updates on potential student debt relief. Borrowers have until August 30 to call their servicer and opt out if they do not want this relief.

On Thursday, August 1 and Friday, August 2, the U.S. Department of Education will host the Strengthening Whole Child Communities: Raising the Bar from Cradle to Career Summit in Detroit, Michigan. The summit aims to bring together policymakers, practitioners, advocates, philanthropy leaders, youth, and community-based organizations to emphasize public education's role in fostering opportunity and socioeconomic mobility for children and youth from low-income backgrounds.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today the resolution of a complaint alleging antisemitic harassment of students at a school in the Carmel Unified School District in California. The district entered into an agreement to ensure its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) when responding to discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including antisemitic harassment of its students.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a statement today regarding the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that the Colonial School District near Wilmington, Delaware, has entered into a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This agreement focuses on providing students with disabilities equal access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the approval of approximately $1.2 billion in additional student loan relief for 35,000 public service workers. This move is part of ongoing efforts to address issues within the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The recent approval brings the total loan forgiveness under the current administration to $168.5 billion for 4.76 million Americans, including $69.2 billion for 946,000 borrowers through PSLF.

The U.S. Department of Education has released proposed regulations aimed at increasing college access for high school students, enhancing public data on student outcomes, and strengthening oversight of distance education programs. These regulations propose changes in three key areas: federal TRIO programs, Distance Education, and Return to Title IV (R2T4). This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to improve college access, affordability, and the overall quality of postsecondary education.

New Data Shows Streamlined Procedure Is Helping Increasing Numbers of Eligible Borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that Brown University in Rhode Island has entered into a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 concerning alleged harassment of students based on national origin, including shared Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry. The complaint was filed against the university in December 2023 alleging Title VI violations.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement today ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling on college affirmative action programs.