September 06, 2026 to September 12, 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
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Congressional Calendar

• House Education and Workforce Subcommittee Hearing: Global College Sports and U.S. Scholarships: The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing titled 'Who Gets the Scholarship? How the Global Shift in College Sports Affects Americans' on September 16, 2026, at 2:15 p.m. in Rayburn 2175.

Federal Government News

General Services Administration Advances Annual College Sports Compliance Certification for Higher Education Awards

The General Services Administration has submitted for OMB review a new information collection to implement Executive Order 14400, 'Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.' Starting August 1, 2026, registered higher education institutions in SAM.gov meeting the $20M athletics revenue threshold must certify annually on their compliance with E.O. 14400 requirements. This certification will support contract and grantmaking agencies' compliance reviews, with the process estimated to involve up to 725 certification responses annually, totaling $19,995.50 in administrative costs. The agency indicated that data will be accessible to federal officials for award activities, and clarified that award determination and payment processing remain with the awarding agencies. Feedback from the 60-day notice addressed concerns about potential impacts on eligibility determination and payment but was answered by clarifying the collection's administrative focus.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Education Department Posts Annual Interest Rates for Federal Direct Loans

Federal Student Aid has released its annual notice on fixed interest rates for Federal Direct Loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program for the 2026-2027 disbursement period. Undergraduate Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans carry a 6.52% rate, graduate/professional Unsubsidized Loans are at 8.07%, and Direct PLUS Loans for parents and graduate/professional students are set at 9.07%. These rates are determined based on the high yield of the 10-year Treasury note preceding June 1, with an added statutory percentage. The rates are fixed for the life of the loan and apply to disbursements from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Direct Consolidation Loans issued after July 1, 2013, continue to use a weighted average calculation without a rate cap.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NSF Submits NRT Monitoring System Data Collection Revisions for OMB Review

The National Science Foundation is seeking renewal and revision approval from OMB for its Research Traineeship (NRT) Monitoring System data collection. The system, which replaces progress reports, utilizes internet-based technologies to gather detailed information from principal investigators, faculty/co-PIs, and trainees in STEM graduate education programs. Annual reporting by NRT awardees includes project, faculty, and trainee surveys, with a total estimated burden of 6,132 hours across 3,120 respondents per year. The data will be used for program management, Congressional reporting, merit review, and both internal and third-party program evaluations. NSF highlighted the system's approach to comprehensive data for ongoing and future research portfolio assessments.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NIH Schedules Online Roundtable on Proposed NCATS Organizational Changes

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) will hold an online public roundtable on October 9, 2026, to discuss proposed organizational changes. Items under review include abolishing the Office of Drug Development Partnership Programs and the Office of Translational Medicine, revising operations of the Office of Special Initiatives, and renaming the Chemical Genomics Branch. The changes aim to consolidate program components and align intramural research with non-animal disease model creation. Public comment is solicited during the forum, as required by the NIH Reform Act for notice of organizational restructuring.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NASA Seeks Comments on SBIR/STTR Proposal Submissions and Award System

NASA issued a notice for public comments on the Proposal Submissions and Awards Management System (ProSAMS) for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The proposed information collection will support electronic submissions and processing of approximately 2,200 applications annually, averaging 16 hours per response and totaling 35,200 annual burden hours. The agency outlined objectives to facilitate efficient public communication of R&D outcomes and maintain compliance with the NASA Strategic Plan for information dissemination. NASA is seeking input on whether the information collected is necessary and on ways to enhance utility and decrease respondent burden.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• Trump administration proposes axing grace period for H-1B visa holders after job loss: The Trump administration proposal would remove the grace period for H-1B holders facing job loss, raising concerns for international students and graduates.
• How Trump administration threats could affect medical school admissions: Medical schools face uncertainty as federal threats to program funding cast new questions over admissions and diversity-focused initiatives.
• Michigan colleges spend big on dorms as enrollments sag. Big draw or big waste?: Some Michigan universities invest in major dorm renovations despite enrollment declines, prompting debate over priorities and student recruitment.
• Exclusive | How Harvard Won Back an Angry Megadonor: Harvard University restored relations with a major donor after a high-profile dispute regarding campus and governance issues.

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