State Policy
Now that colleges are back in session, it’s a great time to invite elected officials to visit your campus. Offer tours, include them in events, and organize activities that increase their first-hand knowledge of your impact on your region. We also recommend ensuring you and your colleagues are signed up for Quorum to receive more frequent updates and call to actions.
As we prepare for the next state legislative session, the Community Colleges for Iowa Board voted this week to hire Eide and Walton as our contracted lobbying firm. This team has an extensive track record in public entity and other lobbying. We are looking forward to this new partnership, which begins September 1.
In a complementary internal staff role for our advocacy efforts, we are now hiring a Director of Government Relations. The application period is underway. Please see the job description and spread the word if anyone in your network may be a good fit and is passionate about our mission.
The main contact for advocacy and lobbying questions remains Executive Director Emily Shields.
Federal Policy
The Department of Justice announced it will not defend the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) program, citing constitutional concerns under the Fifth Amendment. The program is facing a lawsuit from Students for Fair Admissions and the state of Tennessee, while the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has requested to intervene as a defendant. The Department of Education has not opposed HACU’s request, and the case remains pending.
In financial aid, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released the 2026–27 FAFSA Preview Presentation, giving institutions a walkthrough of application and correction scenarios ahead of the October 1 launch. Updates from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will be incorporated, including exempting family farms and small businesses from assets, counting foreign earned income exclusions toward Pell eligibility, and limiting Pell Grants for students with a Student Aid Index twice the maximum award. These eligibility changes will be in place by the launch but may not be reflected in current beta testing. Meanwhile, a NASFAA survey found disruptions in federal student aid processing since spring layoffs, though ED disputes the findings.
The Department of Education also issued new Federal Work Study guidance, barring students from being paid for partisan or non-partisan voter engagement work, though institutions must still provide voter registration opportunities under the Higher Education Act. Separately, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) would broaden the Department’s discretion in determining employer eligibility, lengthen the period for regaining PSLF status, and refine how institutions within larger systems are classified. Public comments are open until October 18, with a final rule expected before November 1. Finally, a federal judge has ordered the Department to reinstate 260 laid-off Office for Civil Rights employees this fall, restoring its capacity to fulfill statutory duties.