GW Weekly Federal Update (March 19)

Key Takeaways

• A proposal to phase out the Graduate PLUS loan program and establish new borrowing limits for certain graduate and professional students could impact GW students. The university submitted formal comments expressing significant concern regarding the proposed narrow definition of "professional" graduate programs.
• GW joined other top medical schools in new national commitments to nutrition training for future physicians. SMHS already is a leader in this space and exceeds the national standards.
• An effort is underway to designate the Chinese Students and Scholars Association as a foreign mission of the Chinese government. If implemented, GW’s CSSA chapter could be subject to stringent federal oversight.
• New pieces of proposed legislation would increase oversight of FAFSA, including by mandating an identity fraud detection system and verifying citizenship status and social security numbers of all applicants. 

GW Updates

• The Department of Education (ED) recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement federal student loan changes. These updates, developed through the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) negotiated rulemaking process, would phase out the Graduate PLUS loan program and establish new borrowing limits for graduate and professional students.
  
  GW submitted formal comments expressing significant concern regarding the proposed narrow definition of "professional" graduate programs. Under the Department’s current proposal, only about 650 programs in 11 legacy fields would qualify for higher professional loan limits, a shift that would exclude approximately 84 percent of GW’s graduate students. The university noted that this exclusion would impact students in fields critical to the national workforce, including nursing, engineering, public health, and cybersecurity. GW argued that these programs are essential for national competitiveness and that restricting borrowing capacity would worsen workforce shortages and stifle academic innovation in emerging fields like artificial intelligence.
  
  To ensure a successful transition that preserves student access, GW urged ED to roll back the proposed definition and instead allow institutions to designate professional programs based on whether they require state or federal licensure. The university emphasized that maintaining this flexibility is vital for students to continue the advanced research and clinical care that drive both regional and national economic strength.
   
•  On March 5, GW joined leaders from 53 top medical schools at a convening hosted by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education to announce new national commitments to nutrition training for future physicians. While the participating schools committed to providing at least 40 hours of nutrition education starting in fall 2026, GW has long been a leader in this space, with comprehensive nutritional training already deeply integrated as a core component of its medical school curriculum. The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) exceeds these new national standards by providing more than 60 hours of instruction through its foundational and organ system-based courses. Central to GW’s long-standing approach is the Culinary Medicine program and the Seva Teaching Kitchen, where students gain hands-on experience translating nutrition research into culturally responsive patient counseling. To support these nationwide advancements, HHS is dedicating $5 million through a National Institutes of Health challenge to help other institutions follow this model by integrating nutrition science and food-as-medicine principles into clinical training and community engagement.

Recent Federal Actions

Chinese Students and Scholars Association

• On March 5, House Committee Chairmen Tim Walberg, John Moolenaar, and Brian Mast sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting that the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) be designated as a foreign mission of the Chinese government. Should this designation be implemented, it would have a direct and significant impact on GW, as the CSSA chapter on campus would be subject to stringent federal oversight. Under these proposed changes, the GW chapter would be required to provide the State Department with advance notice of any meetings held with university officials or local government representatives. Additionally, the organization would be mandated to obtain prior approval from the State Department before hosting any public events within the United States, fundamentally altering how this association operates within the university community.

Financial Aid

• On March 17, the House Committee on Education and Workforce reported out three legislative measures to address financial aid fraud:

  • The “No Aid for Ghost Students Act” (H.R. 7892) mandates an identity fraud detection system for FAFSA applications and prohibits institutions from disbursing aid to flagged applicants without further verification.
  • The “Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026” (H.R. 7891) requires prioritizing program reviews for institutions that fail to perform the above-mentioned identity checks before releasing funds.
  • The “FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act” (H.R. 7893) mandates cooperation with the Social Security Administration to verify the citizenship status and social security numbers of all aid applicants.

  If legislation is enacted, this could have an impact on students receiving federal financial aid.

Research

• U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy addressed the committee regarding the impact of foreign influence on American higher education. While acknowledging that many foreign collaborations are productive and help solve global problems, he argued that certain adversaries use financial contributions to infiltrate universities and gain access to sensitive research. He advocated for the passage of the DETERRENT Act, which aims to close reporting loopholes and streamline the disclosure of foreign contracts to ED. The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Association of American Universities (AAU), of which GW is a member, argue that the DETERRENT Act is duplicative of existing regulations, imposes burdensome compliance costs on universities and risks chilling international research collaboration and academic exchange.

Partial Government Shutdown

• The partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) surpassed one month, though recent developments suggest a potential shift in negotiations. Democrats have formally responded to the White House's latest proposal, and the Trump administration is reviewing the counteroffer to restore full department operations alongside changes to immigration enforcement tactics. Concerns are growing that the budget impasse may soon cause more significant disruptions to air travel.

Department of Education

• ED has cautioned two accrediting agencies—the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education—that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements in their accreditation standards may conflict with federal law. In letters sent by Under Secretary Nicholas Kent on March 16, the Department said that pausing enforcement of DEI standards is insufficient and urged the accreditors to formally eliminate any provisions that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The letters also require accreditors to provide the Department with ongoing monitoring reports to document compliance. The warning comes even as the Department renewed both accreditors’ federal recognition, signaling continued scrutiny of DEI-related accreditation practices under the Trump administration. GW is accredited by the MSCHE and is currently in the self-study process for its reaccreditation.
   
•  In the August 14, 2025, edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that on August 7, President Trump issued an Executive Action called “Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions” directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “revamp the online presentation of IPEDS data, such that it is easily accessible and intelligibly presented for parents and students,” and to expand the scope of required reporting by colleges and universities, in order to “provide adequate transparency into admissions.” On March 11, seventeen State Attorneys General filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief against ED and the Office of Management and Budget claiming that the new Admissions and Consumer Transparent Supplement ("ACTS") survey is unprecedented in scope and that the "scope, breadth, and rushed process of implementing the ACTS survey has harmed and will continue harm plaintiffs." The Complaint further alleges that the government's actions are "contrary to law, exceed statutory authority, fail to observe the procedure required by law, and are arbitrary and capricious."  On March 13, the plaintiffs moved for a temporary restraining order, which the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts granted "[i]n order to permit a hearing and orderly resolution of the issues." A hearing is scheduled for March 24.

Resources

GW is committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff through federal changes. Curated resources are available for staying informed and safe, in addition to FAQs addressing the most common topics on students' minds, including interactions with external law enforcement and supporting international community members.

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.