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Washington Insights & Highlights November 7th

11/07/2025
By CGS Government Relations Staff
Members Only, WIH

Happening on the Hill: The Latest on the Government Shutdown

It is day 38 of the federal government shutdown with no resolution in sight. While the U.S. House of Representatives has been out of session for the last 49 days, the Senate is scheduled to take another vote on a stopgap spending plan later today. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) plans on bringing a three-bill minibus to the floor, which includes funding for the Department of Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans, and the Legislative Branch. While bipartisan negotiations continue, a deal is unlikely to occur anytime soon. According to media reports, Senator Thune may keep the Senate in session this weekend to continue negotiations.

Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Transparency in Higher Education

On November 5th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing, “Increasing Financial Transparency in Higher Education: Lowering Costs for Families.” Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) opened the hearing by stating, “College is one of the largest financial investments many Americans make, but students have little information to inform their decision.”

Senator Cassidy called for legislation like the bipartisan College Transparency Act to ensure families can compare costs, completion rates, and post-graduation earnings. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) echoed these concerns, emphasizing that “college is too expensive” and calling for greater transparency in higher education costs.

Witnesses at the hearing provided examples of ways that the federal government and universities could better serve students, including clear financial letters, a set of agreed-upon terms and definitions in the financial aid sphere, potential earnings after graduation, and better information around projected monthly loan repayments before starting the program.

U.S. Department of Education Negotiators Reach Consensus on Professional Student Definition

After nine days of negotiations, federal negotiators on the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) committee reached consensus on Thursday, November 6. The committee agreed to the entire package of 17 proposals by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) related to changes enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Much of the discussion from the two sessions, which affect graduate education, included the definition of a professional student for loan purposes and dual-degree threshold for professional student classification. New loan limits will begin on July 1, 2026, for graduate and professional students. It was decided that “a degree will be considered professional if the field requires skills beyond those needed to receive a bachelor’s degree.”  As noted in a Chronicle of Higher Education article, “The distinction matters: Professional students will be able to take out $50,000 in loans per year, or $200,000 total, more than double that of a graduate student. A graduate degree, meanwhile, will be defined as a program that is “above the baccalaureate level” and awards a “graduate credential.”

CGS Action: For more information on the RISE Committee’s recent meeting, visit the CGS webpage on the OBBBA. Here is a brief summary of the RISE Committee’s discussion on the definition of professional degrees.

Over the next several weeks, the Department will finalize the language and post a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said will be published early next year. Next month, the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand (AHEAD) negotiated rulemaking committee will meet from December 8-12, 2025 to discuss additional provisions enacted under OBBBA.

Higher Education Community Sends Letter to OSTP on AI Regulations

On August 26, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on “existing Federal statutes, regulations, agency rules, guidance, forms, and administrative processes” that “hinder the development, deployment, and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the United States.” This initiative is part of the Trump Administration’s America’s AI Action Plan announced in July 2025, which aims to accelerate AI innovation, buildout AI infrastructure, and strengthen U.S leadership in international diplomacy and security. OSTP invited input from a range of stakeholders, including industry, academia, and state and local governments, on priorities for regulatory modernization.

The higher education community, including CGS, sent a letter to the OSTP in response to this RIF. The letter highlights the use of AI on university campuses and how AI may be used by federal agencies including the Department of Education. The letter also emphasized several key considerations for AI policy:

  • Need for Human Oversight in Administrative Processes: Ensuring that administrative processes incorporating AI maintain appropriate human oversight.
  • Concerns for Under-Resourced Institutions: Recognizing the challenges faced by smaller or less-resourced institutions in adopting AI technologies.
  • Ensuring Established Privacy Protections are Supported: Safeguarding established privacy standards while implementing AI-driven systems.

U.S. Department of Energy Consolidates Advisory Boards

Earlier this week, AAAS Science Insider reported that the Department of Energy (DOE) has consolidated all six of its advisory committees into one unified body, called the “Office of Science Advisory Committee (SCAC).” For decades, the DOE-Office of Science has relied on these committees to provide guidance to the agency’s research programs and provide long-range planning for these programs. On September 30, DOE released a statement announcing the establishment of the SCAC and the dissolution of the former advisory committees.

 In Case You Missed It

CGS Action: Below are recent letters from the Higher Education Community, including CGS, to the Administration and 119th Congress.

  • NSF Funding: Scientific societies and institutions’ letter to Congressional Appropriators urging them to fund the National Science Foundation at the highest possible level in Fiscal Year 2026 and adopt the Senate report language. The letter emphasizes the importance of sustained funding for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate.
  • RISE Committee: Higher education health community letter to the Department of Education urging the RISE Committee to adopt a clear, consistent, and inclusive definition of “professional degrees” under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The coalition recommended using CIP Code 51 to classify programs, emphasizing accreditation, curriculum, and professional standards rather than program length.
  • VA Proposed Rule on Distance Learning and Independent Study: Higher education community letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding its proposed rule on distance learning and independent study. The letter raises concerns about inconsistent and inaccurate definitions across federal agencies and recommends the VA withdraw the proposal and collaborate with Congress and higher education stakeholders to modernize definitions while preserving program safeguards.
  • OSTP AI Regulations: Higher education community letter to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in response to a Request for Information (RIF) on AI regulations. The letter highlights the use of AI on university campuses and how AI may be used by federal agencies including the Department of Education.
  • NIH Funding: CGS and other members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research letter to House and Senate Appropriations leadership urging them to fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at no less than the Senate approved level of $47.2 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2026, in addition to funding for Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
  • H-1B Visa Fees: Higher education community letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the Presidential Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” which would increase the fee for new H-1B visa applications to $100,000. The letter seeks clarification on provisions of the proclamation and requests that U.S. institutions of higher education be exempt from the proposed fee.

For additional information on CGS policy communications, please visit our webpage.