NCHER BRIEFING
Relevant & Timely Information On Higher Education Finance
NCHER sends its members the NCHER Briefing newsletter which covers higher education, generally, and student loan, specifically, news, announcements, and developments, as well as legislative and regulatory updates. This is also the place where member organizations share their announcements and can promote their products. NCHER’s E-Library portion of the website features extensive resources on student loan laws, guidelines, forms, and research as well as detailed information about NCHER committee activities and upcoming conferences.
NCHER Briefing editions from the current calendar year are located below. Editions from the previous year are located in the NCHER Briefing Archives accessed using the button below. Older editions may be requested by contacting NCHER at info@ncher.org.
Current Year NCHER Briefing Files
- 2026 NCHER Briefing
2026 NCHER Briefing
| Title | Description | Size | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 5, 2026 | Articles on: Keynote Announcement - Policy & Talent Development Summit - Register Now Before the Early Bird Rate Expires!; Weekly Rundown; Congress Returns from Recess – FY 26 LHHS Discussions Ahead; ED Kicks Off Second AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking Session This Week; Bill Introduced to Alter ED’s “Professional Degree” Definition; DOJ Memo Declares Multiple Education Programs Unconstitutional; ED Set to Begin Garnishing Wages of Student Loan Borrowers in Default; 21 Attorneys General Sue White House Over Attempt to Shutter CFPB; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 325.75 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 8, 2026 | Articles on: Announcing an Updated Agenda for the Policy and Talent Development Summit - Final Extension of Early Bird Rate;Trump Administration Withdraws Appeal to Push Through ED Layoffs; Student Loan Forgiveness Could Ramp Up In February; Appropriations Update; Negotiated Rulemaking Continues; U.S. Department of Education News; Member News; General News | 303.77 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 12, 2026 | Articles on: Register Today for Policy and Talent Development Summit - February 12, 2026; Weekly Rundown; AHEAD Negotiators Reached Consensus on New Accountability Measures; Appropriations Update; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 266.94 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 15, 2026 | Articles on: Register Today for Policy and Talent Development Summit - February 12, 2026; Appropriations Update; SHEEO State Priorities Survey Shows Affordability Is Major Concern; CFPB Releases Annual Student Loan Report, Pared Far Down from Previous Years; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Releases Fall Enrollment Report; Department of Education to Shift HEP Division to Department of Labor; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 276.74 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 20, 2026 | Articles on: Weekly Rundown; Department Delays Collection on Student Loan Debt; Congressional Leaders Release Appropriations Bill Text for Minibus, Including Education; Federal Judge Orders ED to Reconsider Cancelled TRIO Grants; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 273.02 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 22, 2026 | Articles on: FSA Acting COO Richard Lucas Will Speak at NCHER’s Summit; FY 26 Appropriations Update – House Action on LHHS and Other Bills Expected Today; Democratic Senators Write to McMahon Requesting Information for SAVE Plan Borrowers; ED Withdraws Appeal of Ruling that Blocked its Effort to Deem Race-Based Programming Illegal; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 257.07 KB | DownloadPreview |
| January 26, 2026 | Articles on: Appropriations Update; ED Requests Extension for Processing Student Loan Forgiveness Applicants Affected by Fraud; ED Reverses Regulations Requiring Private College Owners to Sign a Program Participation Agreement; ED Announces New AIM Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 281.87 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 2, 2026 | ; Senators Propose Bill to Expand Access to Low Interest Student Loans; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 278.69 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 5, 2026 | Articles on: Appropriations Update; Senate Democrats Release Report on Impacts of OBBBA’s Student Loan Provisions on the Private Lending Market; Updates on Moving ED Programs to DOL, Including Update on TRIO; House Education and Workforce Subcommittee Holds Hearing on College Costs; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 256.09 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 9, 2026 | Articles on: Altered Briefing Schedule for the Next Two Weeks; Weekly Rundown; Treasury Requests Input to Inform the Financial Literacy and Education Commission’s Annual Review of the U.S. National Strategy for Financial Literacy; New Annual Report Tracks Credential Attainment and Wage Outcomes; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 253.87 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 13, 2026 | Articles on: NCHER Closed Monday, February 16 for the Federal Holiday; Borrowers File Opposition Brief in Sweet v. McMahon Case; New Data Shows Defaults on Federal Student Loans Are Up; ED Officials Share Improved Metrics for the FAFSA; CBO Projects $5.450 Billion Pell Grant Shortfall; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 187.84 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 17, 2026 | Articles on: Nominations Open to Run for NCHER Board of Directors; Weekly Rundown; ED Kicks Off the Development of the 2027-28 FAFSA Form; ED Processes Student Loan Forgiveness Approvals for 11,000 Borrowers Enrolled in ICR and PAYE Plans; Updated Data Reflects the Status of Application Processing for Affordable Repayment Plans and Student Loan Forgiveness; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 199.67 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 19, 2026 | Articles on: Department Posts Request for Institutions to Update and Maintain Default Management and Prevention Plans; U.S. Department of Labor Announces $65 Million to Expand Short-Term Workforce Training at Community Colleges; National Association of Colleges and Employers Projects Salary Increases for Most New Graduates; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 180.38 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 23, 2026 | Articles on: Weekly Rundown; ED Letter to Congress Indicates No Final Determination on Student Loan Portfolio Sale; ED Releases Federal Student Aid Training Conference Agenda; HELP Committee to Markup Understanding the True Cost of College Act; Senators Write to ED Urging for the Release of TRIO Grant Application Notices; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 212.05 KB | DownloadPreview |
| February 26, 2026 | Articles on: Court Rejects Second Request to Delay Discharges of Student Loans; HELP Committee Pulls Bill on College Aid Award Letters from Today's Markup; Congressional Research Service Releases FAQ on ED’s Definition of “Professional Student”; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 178.23 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 2, 2026 | Articles on: Weekly Rundown; Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging the Legality of SAVE; ED Undersecretary Delivers Remarks During ACE Conference – Implications for Student Loan Lending; NCHER Submits Comment in Response to RISE Proposed Rule; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 186.77 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 5, 2026 | Articles on: 65,000 Comments Submitted in Response to RISE Proposed Rule, Many on "Professional Student" Definition; FSA Training Conference Begins, McMahon Makes Remarks; Common Manual Expected to be Published by July 1; Workforce Pell NPRM Expected This Week; House Higher Education Subcommittee Chair Not Running for Reelection; U.S. Department of Education News; Member News; General News | 218.15 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 9, 2026 | Articles on: Register Today: NCHER Higher Education Finance and Student Success Conference; Weekly Rundown; McMahon: Education Department Shutdown Remains Goal; Workforce Pell NPRM Published; FSA Training Conference Wraps Up, New Webinar Series Announced; Court Again Rejects Attempt to Kill SAVE Plan; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 199.64 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 12, 2026 | Articles on: Appellate Court Reversal of Lower Court Decision on SAVE Terminates the Plan; GAO Reports a Decline in ED Oversight of Student Loan Servicers; Attorneys General Sue Administration Over Expanded Collection of College Admissions Data; ED Notices Technical Correction to Final PSLF Rule; FSA Announces OBBBA FAFSA Processing Updates; New Survey Reflects National Attitudes Toward Loan Limits and Accountability Reforms; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 192.39 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 19, 2026 | Articles on: Education Department Planning to Send Part of Student Loan Portfolio to Treasury Department; Department of Labor Soliciting Applications for TRIO Grant on ED’s Behalf; Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement, Keeps Federal Funds Rate Steady; House Education and Workforce Committee Marks Up Several Higher Ed Bills; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 195.31 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 23, 2026 | Articles on: Weekly Rundown; District Court Anticipated to Weigh in on IPEDS Data Collection Initiative; Appellate Court Weighs Arguments Over EDs Loan Relief Delay; FSA Outlines Impending Updates to the FAFSA Applications; Under Secretary Speaks to Professional Degree Definition; U.S. Department of Education News; General News | 197.40 KB | DownloadPreview |
| March 26, 2026 | Articles on: Register Today for NCHER’s 2026 Higher Education Finance and Student Success Conference; Federal Judge Rules CFPB Must Continue to Ask Federal Reserve for Funds; Treasury Department Issues RFI on Defaulted Student Loan Collections; Brookings Data Suggests Average Net Tuition Down When Adjusted for Inflation; Department of Labor Launching AI Literacy Course; Federal Judge Rules ED Must Discharge Student Loans For 205,000 Borrowers; U.S. Department of Education News; Member News; General News | 303.95 KB | DownloadPreview |