September 13, 2026 to September 19, 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

Proclamation Extends Entry Restrictions and $100,000 Fee for Certain H-1B Workers

On September 18, President Trump extended Proclamation 10973, continuing entry restrictions on certain H-1B nonimmigrant workers for an additional 12 months, maintaining the $100,000 payment requirement for exceptions. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor will continue to prioritize high-skilled, higher-paid applicants and align prevailing wages with those of American workers. According to the proclamation, these measures contributed to a 92% decrease in H-1B registrations from large IT outsourcing firms and a 97% reduction in consular processing requests. Registrations for U.S. Master’s degree holders rose to 66.1% for FY 2027. The policy aims to address wage suppression and labor displacement concerns identified as ongoing in the labor market.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Executive Order Directs Interagency Review and Compliance for H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Program

President Trump issued an executive order on September 18 addressing abuses in the H-1B visa program, citing concerns about its use for replacing skilled American workers and risks related to wage suppression and national security. The order instructs the Departments of State, Labor, Homeland Security, Commerce, Education, and the Small Business Administration to coordinate compliance efforts, enforce statutory requirements, and review labor condition applications for potential violations. The Secretary of Labor is authorized to implement rulemaking. The order specifies that it confers no new enforceable rights and is strictly for program administration.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to IPEDS Collection Moves Forward

The Department of Education revised implementation details for the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for 2025-27. Launching with the 2025-26 Winter Collection, ACTS seeks to provide disaggregated institution-level data on college admissions practices to facilitate informational decision-making by students and families. New variables include admission likelihood by race-sex pair, admissions test score quintile, and income bands, as well as financial aid and graduation outcomes. The ACTS data collection requires three years of pre-policy data for time series analysis and mandates specific privacy controls, with raw student-level records processed in aggregate. The Department indicates the estimated burden for institutions submitting ACTS data is 200 hours per institution for the collection period.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NIH Proposes Updates to Post-Award Reporting and Data Management Requirements

The National Institutes of Health published a 60-day public comment request for revisions to the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) post-award requirements. The proposed update changes the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan format effective FY2026, adopting structured 'Yes, No, or Not Applicable' questions with narrative required only for negative or non-applicable responses, limited to 300 words. The RPPR is used by NIH, FDA, CDC, and AHRQ grant recipients for annual progress and final reports; total estimated annual burden is 24,270 hours, covering more than 24,000 expected responses.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Notice of Updates to iEdison System Requirements

The National Institute of Standards and Technology submitted an updated information collection for the iEdison System under the Bayh-Dole Act, which tracks invention disclosures, patent filings, and utilization reports for recipients of federal research funding. The requirements obligate contractors to report invention-related activity, retain domestic manufacturing unless waived, and make utilization data available for federal review, with an aggregate estimated annual burden of over 139,000 hours for reporting entities.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• Trump extends push for $100,000 H-1B visas by another year: President Trump renews restrictions and the $100,000 fee for select H-1B visa applicants for another year.
• Microsoft and OpenAI Workers Worry About ‘Largest Theft of Labor’ in History: Ongoing concerns at Microsoft and OpenAI about labor practices and data use raise tensions with the publishing industry.
• White House budget chief pushes for scrutiny of NIH grants in Oval Office clash: White House budget officials called for increased scrutiny of NIH research grants amid internal debate.
• The Working Class Face a ‘Class Ceiling’ in Elite Occupations: New data highlights socioeconomic barriers limiting access to elite academic positions for working-class candidates.
• ‘It was a mistake’: What four writers wish they’d studied: Several authors reflect on their academic choices and consider how alternate studies might have shaped different careers.
• Opinion | Higher Ed Will Soon Get Patriotic: An opinion piece discusses new developments in higher education policy and shifting cultural priorities.

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