NLS Early Registration Discount Ends TOMORROW, The Department of Education Commits to Detecting Fraud While Celebrating FAFSA Milestone, Next Steps in Accreditation Reform
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December 18, 2025
Publisher's note: LAW is going on a hiatus for the holidays unless there is pressing news from the Federal government. LAW will return in the New Year. Happy holidays!
Leading the News this Week
2026 Community College National Legislative Summit (NLS) Early Registration Discount Ends TOMORROW. Be sure to register before the deadline to save $150! Click here to register and read on to the next section to learn more about how to prepare for NLS.
News in Higher Education
Preparing for NLS
With the Community College National Legislative Summit (NLS) happening from February 8 to 11, now is the time to start thinking about how to best prepare. To assist you in this process, visit ACCT's website, where you can find resources that include a timeline of steps to take each month leading up to NLS, a short video guide on how to set up a meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, and a federal funds worksheet that assists with narrowing down the key data points to collect for your Hill meetings.
Finally, join the Government Relations teams from both ACCT and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) on January 22, 2026 at 2 PM ET as we unveil the 2026 legislative priorities, known as the Green Sheet. Register here for the webinar.
The Department of Education Commits to Detecting Fraud While Celebrating FAFSA Milestone
The Department of Education (ED) recently announced that it has prevented more than $1 billion in Federal student aid fraud this year. One of the methods was asking certain first-time Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants to verify their identities. ED also launched a new page on StudentAid.gov/scams to provide information to students and families on “fake schools” and how to spot scams. In addition to this, ED is building a fraud detection team in the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) to combat fraud.
In FAFSA-related news, today, ED announced that more than 5 million FAFSA forms have been submitted, nearly a 150 percent increase in submissions from the same time last year. ED attributes this success to a redesigned and streamlined form that is user-friendly, as well as launching the form earlier than in previous cycles.
Next Steps in Accreditation Reform
The Department of Education (ED) sent out a request for information to obtain feedback to update the Accreditation Handbook. ED's goal is to "improve this important handbook to communicate clear and concise information to users so that the process for the Department's recognition of an accrediting agency is transparent, efficient, and not unduly burdensome." Feedback may also be added to the public comments ED received with its call for Public Feedback for the Development of Proposed Regulations and Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committee published on April 4, 2025. The deadline for comments is January 26, 2026.
Meanwhile, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), the committee that advises ED on which college accrediting agencies should be recognized, elected newly appointed Jay Greene as its chair. Critics pointed out that NACIQI, which has traditionally been bipartisan, is now operating to showcase partisan differences between members, such as including party affiliations with member introductions and seating arrangements that highlight the member's party. Regardless of these criticisms, ED Undersecretary Nicolas Kent said, "We all agree there are real issues with NACIQI and the accreditation process, so we’re going to fix a lot of it. So, everybody buckle up.”
Join Us in Advocacy
As a reminder, in this appropriations cycle, ACCT is advocating for members of Congress to fund programs such as Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) and the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). These programs provide much-needed support for students and institutions.
To move forward with our advocacy and communicate with lawmakers the importance of CCAMPIS and SIP, we need your help! We urge you to please share with us how your campuses have benefited from CCAMPIS and SIP at publicpolicy@acct.org.
Also, we call upon you to participate in our Action Campaign and let your member of Congress know the devastating effects should CCAMPIS and SIP no longer exist.
- December 16: Preparing for Workforce Pell: Workforce Alignment
- January 13: Preparing for Workforce Pell: Student Outreach
- January 22: NLS Webinar - Green Sheet Launch
- January 26: Deadline to submit comments for the request for information to update the Accreditation Handbook
- February 8-11, 2026: National Legislative Summit
Outreach Efforts
Is your institution meeting or hosting an event with federal elected officials?
We created a Congressional Contact Form that will help us track outreach efforts of community college leaders across our membership. By filling out the form, you are better informing ACCT's advocacy efforts and our advocacy team is able to continue those conversations with congressional staff in DC.
ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW:
Would you Like a Federal Update Session for Your Team?
Both this new presidential administration and new Congress have brought with them a flurry of developments in the federal landscape that can make keeping up a monumental task. ACCT's Government Relations team is here to help by offering a 45-minute to an-hour federal update session to community college leadership teams who are ACCT members. To request a session, fill out this form and please email publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.
Have a Question?
Contact us with any questions or concerns about public policy and ACCT's advocacy on behalf of two-year colleges and two-year college trustees. ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts are sent to interested ACCT members to keep you up to date on important legislative activities that impact community colleges.
If you no longer wish to receive ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. For more information about ACCT's advocacy services, visit acct.org/advocacy
Spread the Word.
Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) Alert network. To join, simply register here.
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