GW Weekly Federal Update (December 11)

Recent Federal Actions

International Community

• On December 3, the State Department announced an expansion of screening and vetting for H-1B and dependent H-4 visa applications. Beginning December 15, all applicants must adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”  According to the announcement, the enhanced screening and vetting is intended to “ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.” Applicants for H-1B and H-4 visas may expect additional delays in obtaining appointments and ultimately in the issuance of visas as this additional vetting process is implemented. Applicants for F, M, and J student and exchange visas are already subject to this requirement.
   
• On December 10, the Department of Homeland Security published in the Federal Register a Notice and Request for Comment on a proposal that would, among other things, require visitors to the U.S. from countries that are currently part of the visa waiver program to provide their social media histories for the last five years as a condition to entering the country. Visitors from countries where visas are not needed, e.g., the UK and Germany, would be required to provide the social media information through the Electronic System for Travel Authorizations.

Department of Education

• In the October 17 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that staff in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) had been reduced by one-half in March 2025. According to media reports, on December 5, the Department of Education (ED) has called back to work at least some of those workers (all of whom have been on paid administrative leave until a lawsuit challenging the reduction continues to play out), stating that it is “important to refocus OCR’s work and utilize all OCR staff to prioritize OCR’s existing complaint caseload.”
   
• On December 9, ED announced a proposed settlement with the state of Missouri that would formally end the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) loan repayment plan nationwide. Although Missouri brought the lawsuit, SAVE is a federal program, so the settlement would apply to all borrowers enrolled in SAVE across the country if it is approved by the Court. The agreement would accelerate Congress’s planned repeal of SAVE under H.R.1 by moving all borrowers into other legally authorized repayment plans, denying pending applications, and discontinuing planned loan forgiveness. ED has not yet provided details on how borrowers will transition, which has raised concerns about confusion, financial strain, and possible default risks.
   
• ED has issued a Request for Information to gather public feedback on updating its Accreditation Handbook, which is part of a broader effort to streamline accreditor guidance and improve the efficiency and transparency of the recognition process. ED stated in a recent press release that it aims to ensure that accrediting agencies continue to serve as effective overseers of institutions receiving federal student aid while also maintaining accountability for educational quality and compliance with federal law. The request asks stakeholders to comment on how the handbook might reduce administrative burden, support innovation, clarify expectations for evaluating institutional quality, and strengthen approaches to assessing student learning. This effort precedes a planned accreditation-related negotiated rulemaking next year. The Accreditation Handbook was last updated in 2022, and ED is seeking input over a 45-day comment period through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

Congress

• Progress on the remaining nine FY26 appropriations bills has stalled in the Senate, which has shifted its focus to the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and a vote to extend health care subsidies. In the House, Republican leaders are considering bringing one or two appropriations bills to the floor next week before the holiday recess.
  
  On December 7, leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees released the final text of the NDAA. The agreement excludes research security provisions otherwise known as  the SAFE Research Act, and contains language preventing the Department of Defense from altering indirect cost rates without consultation with the extramural research community. The legislation authorizes spending and sets policies for the Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, and the Department of Energy’s nuclear programs. It also includes new restrictions on federal funding for certain Chinese biotechnology firms and limits on specific outbound U.S. investments in China, while omitting the INNOVATE Act, which aimed to reform and reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. On Dec. 10, the House passed the NDAA, which will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to advance quickly before being sent to the President.
   
• The Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee convened earlier this week to begin developing regulations for new Pell Grant provisions enacted under H.R. 1, including the creation of Workforce Pell and associated accountability measures. Committee members are working through ED’s proposal to extend Pell eligibility to short-term, career-oriented training programs. Key issues under review include how noncredit programs will demonstrate pathways to credit, limits on the use of unaccredited training providers, and responsibility for collecting data needed to meet completion, job placement, and earnings standards. While negotiators generally support the intent of Workforce Pell, several have expressed concerns about implementation challenges for states and institutions, including data tracking capacity and the short timeline before the program’s planned launch. The committee aims to reach consensus by the end of the week.

The National Capital Region and Other States

• In the September 19 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that ED concluded that Loudoun County Public Schools violated Title IX by suspending two male students for allegedly harassing another student who “appeared as a female” and who used the boys locker room. We also reported that the two students filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Virginia against the County seeking to overturn their suspensions and to stop the County from allowing students to use facilities that match their gender identity. On December 8, the Department of Justice filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the two students, who are Christian. DOJ alleges that the County violated the students’ right to equal protection under the 14th amendment by “requiring students and faculty to accept and promote gender ideology,” regardless of their religious beliefs.  

Research

• Last month, President Trump launched the “Genesis Mission,” a new national initiative created through executive order to accelerate scientific discovery using artificial intelligence. The mission directs the Department of Energy to build an integrated AI platform that will leverage federal scientific datasets, high-performance computing, and research infrastructure across national laboratories, universities, and private-sector partners. The initiative aims to support AI-driven experimentation, automate research workflows, and address priority national challenges in areas such as biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, critical materials, quantum information science, and energy. The executive order also outlines plans for secure data integration, interagency coordination, and new workforce development opportunities tied to AI-enabled research. DOE leaders have further detailed the goals of the mission in accompanying public statements.

Lawsuit Against Hispanic Scholarship Fund

• On December 3, the Alliance for Equal Rights filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia against the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, a private organization that awards 10,000 scholarships and provides other benefits to post-secondary students of all races that identify as being of Hispanic heritage. The lawsuit alleges that HSF discriminates against those who are non-Hispanic, and seeks to prohibit HSF “from knowing or considering ethnicity in any way” in the administration of the scholarship program.

Resources and Reminders

About this Newsletter

GW publishes this weekly Federal Update to inform students, faculty and staff about how developments in the federal government affect higher education generally and the University. This newsletter includes timely information, answers to questions from GW community members, and resources for support.