Higher Education Enters a Crowded Fall Policy Season

When Congress returns,  it faces an immediate deadline to prevent a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends on September 30, with the House and Senate having passed competing continuing resolutions before the August recess. The House bill would extend funding through December 4, while the Senate version runs through December 11 and includes a provision blocking the Office of Management and Budget from finalizing its controversial proposed overhaul of the federal grants framework. The Senate may also see a vote on the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. Meanwhile, the Administration continues working on its priorities this fall: implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill’s new student aid rules, ongoing litigation over graduate professional degree definitions, Workforce Pell rollout, expected proposed regulations on accreditation overhaul, and a new 4-year cap on international student admissions taking effect September 15. The American Council on Education notes that all of this unfolds against the backdrop of the midterm elections, which compress the legislative window and raise the political stakes for every major decision Congress and the administration will face before year’s end.