Below is RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up from Wednesday. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

CONGRESS

The U.S. Senate joined the U.S. House in recessing until after Labor Day.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Nicolas Kent by a 50 to 45 vote to be the Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) issued a report outlining policies on child literacy and K12 education systems.

ADMINISTRATION

ED Under Secretary Nicolas Kent issued a set of higher education priorities for the agency.

ED sent its proposed Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Employer Eligibility rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget for review.

ED conducted a virtual public hearing for the upcoming negotiated rulemaking sessions on higher education matters.

The White House issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Education to expand the current reporting under the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to cover certain admissions data at institutions of higher education (IHEs), asserting a lack of transparency regarding the use of race in IHE admissions policies. Subsequently, ED Secretary Linda McMahon directed the National Center for Education Statistics to collect admissions data for IHEs regarding race and sex related to an institution’s applicant pool, admitted cohort and enrolled cohort at the undergraduate level and with respect to specific graduate programs.

ED announced that the test version of the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

Trump Order on Grants Puts Politics Above Peer Review, Researchers Say [Inside Higher Ed]

Trump administration finds George Washington University failed to address campus antisemitism [Politico]

Gender Data Would Be Off-Limits Under Proposed NIH Policy [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Students for Fair Admissions drops lawsuits against West Point, Air Force Academy [Higher Ed Dive]

Federal Appeals Court Ruling Allows DOGE Access to Education Department Data [Education Week]

Newsom: $1B proposed UCLA, Trump administration settlement ‘ransom’ [The Hill]

32 colleges accused of using early decision to drive up costs [Higher Ed Dive]

Amid Volatility and Uncertainty, Should Colleges Spend Down Their Surpluses? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Advocates fear Trump’s plans after directive for transparent college admissions data [The Hill]

HBCUs Anxiously Await Trump’s Pick to Lead White House Initiative [Inside Higher Ed]

Antitrust Lawsuit Challenges Early-Decision Programs [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Trump Wants U.C.L.A. to Pay $1 Billion to Restore Its Research Funding [The New York Times]

Despite Court Order, Education Dept.’s Civil Rights Staff Still On Leave [The 74]

Trump Orders Colleges to Supply Data on Race in Admissions [Inside Higher Ed]

Diversity Training Is Out. Dialogue Workshops Are In. [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Google to Spend $1B on AI Training in Higher Ed [Inside Higher Ed]

University of Utah board moves to cut 81 academic programs [Higher Ed Dive]

Trump administration illegally axed NIH grants, government watchdog says [Higher Ed Dive]

How Trump Forced Cuts at Wealthy Universities [Inside Higher Ed]

Stanford student newspaper sues Trump administration over writers fearing deportation [The Hill]

Where Is Columbia’s $200-Million Settlement Going, Exactly? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:

Senate Minority Leader
Press Release: ICYMI: Leader Schumer And Congressional Democrats Statement On New CBO Analysis Confirming Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Betrayal” Steals From The Poor, Gives To The Ultra-Rich

Press Release: Leader Schumer: EJ Antoni For The Bureau Of Labor Statistics Is An Insult To Every American Family

House Committee on Education and Workforce
Press Release: Ranking Member Scott, Workforce Community Defend Importance of Job Corps on Virginia’s Local Economy

House Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Boyle Statement on July CPI Inflation Data

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Chairman Smith: Six Months In, Workers Have Bigger Paychecks

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Press Release: Chairman Guthrie Issues Statement Regarding CBO Coverage Update from the One Big Beautiful Bill

Senate Committee on the Budget
Press Release: New CBO Analysis Confirms Republicans’ Big Ugly Law Steals from the Poor, Gives to the Ultra-Rich

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Press Release: Chairman Guthrie Issues Statement Regarding CBO Coverage Update from the One Big Beautiful Bill

House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Press Release: Walberg, Allen Blast Teachers Union for Scandalous Spending

House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Press Release: Ranking Member Lofgren Calls Trump Out for Corrupt Executive Order Requiring Political Appointees to Approve Federal Grants

House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Press Release: Labor Leaders Demand Oversight Hearing on the Abrupt Firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

DOL Press Release: US Departments of Labor, Commerce, Education Unveil Workforce Development Strategy to Fuel ‘Golden Age’ of the American Economy

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor announces availability of $30M in grants to train American workers for jobs in high demand, emerging industries

ED Press Release: Secretary McMahon Announces “Returning Education to the States” 50-State Tour

DOL Press Release: ICYMI: Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Highlights President Trump’s Successful First 200 Days During ‘America at Work’ Tour Stops in 4 States

GAO Report: Adoption Tax Credit: IRS Needs a Comprehensive Educational Outreach Plan

White House Press Release: Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures Transparency in Higher Education Admissions

White House Executive Order: Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Stops Wasteful Grantmaking

ED Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Directs National Center for Education Statistics to Collect Universities’ Data on Race Discrimination in Admissions

White House Press Release: The One Big Beautiful Bill Is Igniting an American Business Boom

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Initiates Title VI Investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools for Alleged Anti-Semitic Harassment

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.4949 — Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act of 2025
Sponsor: Harder, Josh [Rep.-D-CA-9] (Introduced 08/12/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Ways and Means
Latest Action: House – 08/12/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.4965 — Counseling for Career Choice Act
Sponsor: Thompson, Glenn [Rep.-R-PA-15] (Introduced 08/12/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 08/12/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

OMB Notice: Cumulative Report of Rescissions Proposals Pursuant to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

ED Grant Notice: Assistance for Arts Education Program. Applications due on or before August 11, 2025.

ED Notice: Best Interest Determination-Prison Education Program. Comments are due on or before September 8, 2025.

ED Comment Request: Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection. Comments are due on or before September 8, 2025.