August 30, 2026 to September 05, 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

• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Federal Government News

G20 Innovation Ministerial Concludes with Consensus Statement

The G20 Innovation Ministerial meeting ended in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with a consensus statement issued by U.S. Department of Commerce and White House OSTP. The document, featuring the Carolina Principles for Emerging Technologies, targets pro-innovation policies, technology prosperity, workforce development, intellectual property for AI, AI standards, and industrial innovation in supply chains. Ministers encouraged investment in research and commercialization and adoption of trusted technologies. The AI Prosperity Objectives and Compact formed new commitments for enhancing workforce development and collaboration with private sector partners. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and OSTP Director Michael Kratsios spoke at the event alongside business leaders Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, and Sam Altman. Representatives from all G20 nations and unions attended.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Department of Education Extends Title IV Reimbursement and Heightened Cash Monitoring Information Collection

The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office issued a notice to extend the information collection for "Request for Title IV Reimbursement or HCM2" under 34 CFR part 668, Subpart K. Institutions must submit Form 270 when requesting Title IV funds under Reimbursement or Heightened Cash Monitoring (HCM2). Public comment is sought on necessity, burden, utility, and clarity, and suggestions on minimizing respondent burden via technology. Written comments are due October 5, 2026, via Reginfo.gov. The collection has 180 annual responses and 180 annual burden hours; no changes have been made since the September 2023 approval. Carolyn Rose is the contact for inquiries.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NIH Proposes Extension of Institutional Animal Welfare Assurance and Annual Report Requirements

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare released a notice proposing a three-year extension for collecting interinstitutional, foreign, and domestic assurances and annual reports. These document institutional compliance with PHS Policy, pursuant to 42 CFR 52.8 and Health Research Extension Act. Data collection is estimated at 2,084 respondents and 8,542 annualized burden hours. The forms include assurance renewals, annual reports, and interinstitutional performance site assurances, used to track humane care and use of lab animals in PHS-supported research. Comments are due by October 2, 2026. Jane J. Na is listed as the NIH contact.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Commerce Department Opens Duty-Free Entry Application for Scientific Instruments for Research Universities

The U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration announced public comment for applications by research institutions seeking duty-free entry of scientific instruments under the Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Materials Importation Act. Universities including Northwestern, Cornell, Michigan, Texas, Rice, Vanderbilt, several University of California campuses, Illinois, NYU, Purdue, BU, Wisconsin, Buffalo, Rochester, Delaware, Texas Tech, and Washington and Lee submitted requests for advanced equipment like cryostats, dilution refrigerators, lasers, spectrometers, and electron microscopes. Comments must address domestic manufacturing equivalents and are due by September 24, 2026, to the Statutory Import Programs Staff with a copy by email. Lana Nigro signed the notice.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Department of Defense Proposes Survey for STEM Work Experience Program Participants

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering submitted a proposed information collection to OMB regarding the DOD STEM Work Experience Program Participant Questionnaire. The survey aims to evaluate educational/professional backgrounds, benefits, barriers, and possible improvements of STEM work experience programs, including internships, apprenticeships, and postdoctoral positions. The affected population is individuals/households; 300 respondents are expected, with a 15-minute response required, totaling 75 burden hours annually. Public comments are open until October 2, 2026, via reginfo.gov. Reginald Lucas is the contact for further information.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

VA Revises Information Collection for Educational Contribution Refund Application

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a revision of the information collection for the Application for Refund of Educational Contributions (VA Form 22-5281) under OMB Control No. 2900-0261. This pertains to the Post-Vietnam Era Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), providing refunds to participants who disenroll, with procedures for refunds based on timing of withdrawal and discharge. The targeted affected population is individuals or households; estimated annual burden is 429 hours across 2,571 respondents, with a 10-minute burden per response. Comments and recommendations are due by October 5, 2026.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Education Department Revises Special Education Personnel Development Program Compliance Reporting

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposed a revision to the information collection for the Personnel Development Program’s service obligation reporting. The PDP program supports higher education grants for special education scholar preparation; funded scholars agree to complete two years of service per year of funding. The data collection system allows grantees, scholars, and employers to report compliance and performance. It is expected to have 60,949 responses and 9,210 burden hours annually. Comments are invited by October 30, 2026. Celia Rosenquist is the contact person.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Education Department Extends Administrative Requirements Collection for FFEL

The Department of Education announced an extension for collection of administrative requirements for the Federal Family Educational Loan Program (FFEL) under OMB control 1845-0085. States, not-for-profit lenders, and eligible lender trustees must certify entity status and document eligibility as required by 34 CFR 682.302. The process involves submissions on official letterhead and providing relevant lender identification. The collection expects 25 responses annually and creates a matching 25 annual burden hours. Written public comments may be submitted by September 30, 2026. Carolyn Rose is available for questions.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Department of Defense Proposed Collection for Overseas Educator Employment Applications

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness proposed a collection regarding Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) Employment Opportunities for Educators. It targets employment verification, experience assessment, and qualification confirmation for overseas educator positions, using DoWEA Forms 5010, 5011, and 5013. The collection is voluntary, covers 23,100 respondents and 6,930 annual burden hours, with an 18-minute response time. Comments are open until November 2, 2026, at regulations.gov or by mail. James Revell is the designated contact.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Arizona State University Announces Intended Repatriation of Native American Objects

Arizona State University's Center for Archaeology and Society Repository has posted a Federal Register notice regarding the planned repatriation of 97 cultural items, including 44 unassociated funerary objects and 53 lots of sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony, following NAGPRA requirements. Items originated from Las Estufas site, Maricopa County, Arizona, and are to be returned to affiliated tribes: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Tohono O'odham Nation. Repatriation may occur after September 30, 2026. Requests can be submitted to Allisen Dahlstedt at ASU.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

ASU Repatriation Notice for Sacred O'odham Objects

The Arizona State University Center for Archaeology and Society Repository announced intended repatriation of six sacred objects (four baskets, one bone awl, one jar) affiliated with the O'odham culture. The objects are traced to Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Tohono O'odham Nation. Repatriation is scheduled on or after September 30, 2026, per NAGPRA regulations. Requests should be submitted in writing to Allisen Dahlstedt.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• IRS Proposes Rules to Strip Tax Exemptions From Colleges Using Race in Policies: IRS considers regulations targeting tax status of universities with race-based policies.
• Academia Is in Trouble and This English Professor Understands Why: Randy Boyagoda discusses systemic challenges facing U.S. higher education.
• College loans were late due to new federal rules. Students are paying the price.: Delays in college loan disbursements cause financial stress for students.
• As more colleges surpass $100,000 price tag, here’s the true cost: Several institutions now charge over $100,000 per year in tuition and expenses.
• US House passes bill to crack down on university boycotts of Israel: House approves measure targeting academic boycotts affecting Israel.
• Colleges Admit Students Who Haven’t Applied: Universities increasingly admitting students without formal applications.
• Thousands of Lebanese students still displaced by war as school year nears: Conflict continues to disrupt education for Lebanese students.

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