June 07, 2026 to June 13, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning colleges, universities, campuses, international students, student housing, research initiatives, and federal research funding opportunities. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Congressional Calendar
• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📜 Legislative Updates
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Congressional Calendar

• Senate Business Meeting on Student Athlete Rights and NIL Protections: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a business meeting on S.4668 regarding protections for student athlete name, image, and likeness rights, and promoting fair competition among intercollegiate athletics. Scheduled for June 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET, in Russell Senate Office Building room 253.

Federal Government News

ED Launches Centers Aligned With Areas of National Need Program Competition

The U.S. Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is soliciting applications for the FY2026 Centers Aligned with Areas of National Need program. The initiative provides grants to institutions of higher education or consortia to develop training, research, and instruction in modern foreign languages and international studies across world regions, with maximum awards of $1.4 million for 48-month projects. Absolute priorities include linkage programs, addressing national needs, and comprehensive and undergraduate center projects. Competitive preference priorities relate to state-level collaborations and artificial intelligence. Applications must be submitted electronically by July 7, 2026. The underlying authority is Title VI, Part A, Section 602(a) of the Higher Education Act, and full guidance is available via ED’s website and Grants.gov.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NSF Revises and Extends EFRI Grantee Reporting Requirements

The National Science Foundation has moved to revise and extend data collection for the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program under the Paperwork Reduction Act. EFRI funds high-risk, interdisciplinary engineering research, with awards up to $2 million across four years. The new reporting protocol monitors outcomes for five years post-award, requesting quantitative and descriptive metrics from grantees, covering personnel, funding, patents, publications, educational impacts, and career progressions. Annual report submissions will be expected, totaling approximately 700 hours for 100 reports each year. Input is sought from principal investigators and trainees, with a 30-day comment window from publication.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Federal Updates to Income-Contingent Repayment Plan Formula for Direct Loans

Federal Student Aid (ED) announced annual adjustments to income percentage factors used to calculate monthly payments under the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan for federal direct loans, effective July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. The updated tables, accessible in the Federal Register, integrate CPI-based inflation adjustments, potentially lowering payments for borrowers compared to prior years. Revised sample repayment charts for single and married borrowers are published, along with calculation instructions and poverty guidelines. Borrowers may use the Loan Simulator tool for individual repayment estimates.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity Announces July Review Meeting

The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) will convene July 22–23, 2026, to review renewal applications from seven accrediting agencies and assess a compliance report from the Kansas State Board of Nursing. The agenda covers evaluation of agency standards, accreditation scopes, and regulatory compliance, with public participation possible via written or oral comment. The meeting will be held in-person for committee members and agency representatives and virtually for the public. Reports and documentation of proceedings are scheduled for release within 90 days after the meeting.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Labor Department Seeks Input on Modernizing CareerOneStop and O*NET Workforce Information Tools

The Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, has issued a Request for Information on plans to modernize CareerOneStop.org and the Occupational Information Network (ONET) program, seeking input from education and workforce stakeholders. The ongoing effort targets improved job search navigation, skills-based exploration, integration with local training, and AI-powered functionalities. Modernization includes expanded API/data capabilities and upgraded occupational data granularity. Comments on both platform and ONET modernization are accepted until August 10, 2026, aiming to inform future program design and procurement activities.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Legislative Updates

Student Success Grants for High-Need Populations

Bills 9300 and 4778 would authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants supporting evidence-based student success programs with the objective of raising participation, retention, and completion rates in high-need populations. Latest actions include referral to committees in both chambers: House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sources: www.congress.gov, www.congress.gov

Federal Student Loan Transfers Bill

Bill 9272, introduced in the House, proposes amending the Higher Education Act of 1965 allowing certain federal student loans to be transferred from parents to their children. The measure was referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce for consideration.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Data Access and AI Research Enhancement Bills

Bills 9307 and 4770 seek to mandate the Secretary of Energy to establish centralized resources granting access to data that facilitate biological research enabled by advanced computational methods such as artificial intelligence. Both bills are referred to the respective House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sources: www.congress.gov, www.congress.gov

Rules for Student Athlete Eligibility

Bill 9302 aims to establish rules regarding eligibility for student athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics, with core provisions for competition standards and athlete protections. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Sources: www.congress.gov

Capacity Building Grants for Community College Agriculture Programs

Bill 4730 would amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act by authorizing capacity building grants for community college agriculture and natural resources programs. The latest action is its referral to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Sources: www.congress.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• CU research spending faces $87M decline: The University of Colorado expects an $87 million drop in research spending, attributed to federal funding cuts.
• Google says ShinyHunters hackers targeting education sector via Oracle exploit: Google reports that ShinyHunters hackers are targeting the education sector using an Oracle software vulnerability.
• Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas for highly skilled workers is struck down: A court has invalidated the Trump administration's imposed $100,000 fee on H-1B visas for highly skilled workers.
• The Young Economic Populists Reshaping the Left: A new wave of college graduates is influencing economic populism within the Democratic Party.
• Opinion | High-Tech Seeks Skilled Tradesmen: High-tech industries are increasing recruitment of skilled tradespeople to address workforce shortages.

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