GW Weekly Federal Update (October 17)

Update on October 20: As the university shared below, we are aware of recent news reports about the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. We would like to clarify that GW has not been invited to adopt or comment on the compact, and we are not considering adopting it. What we are doing is actively discussing GW’s values, principles and priorities, and how they relate to the important issues and the broader challenges faced by all of higher education.

Recent Federal Actions

Government Shutdown

• The federal government shutdown has now entered its third week with no resolution in sight, and the Office of Management and Budget has begun implementing layoffs across multiple agencies, including the Department of Education, which is described in more detail below. Congressional leaders remain at a stalemate over restoring Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, with no agreement on a path forward to reopen the government. As the shutdown continues, universities and research institutions nationwide are facing disruptions to federal grant funding, halted agency communications, and growing uncertainty about long-term program support. The university continues to provide guidance and support to the research community. 

International Community

• According to media reports, ICE agents in Chicago stopped and detained an individual suspected to be an illegal alien. Although the individual did not have papers with him verifying his documented status, ICE eventually verified that the individual is legally in the country. However, ICE issued the individual a $130 ticket for not having his papers on his person. 
  
  As GW has previously advised, non-citizens must carry proof of their immigration status, e.g., green card, a physical copy of the Form I-94 record or nonimmigrant visa. For more information, review tips from the International Services Office or refer to the D.C. Federalization FAQs. Members of the international community can also isogwu [dot] edu (contact ISO directly) for individualized support.
   
• As reported in the September 26 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, the White House announced restrictions on the entry of new H-1B workers into the U.S., unless their petitions are accompanied by a $100,000 supplemental payment to the U.S. government. On October 16, media reported the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has sued the Trump Administration to block the new fee, alleging it violates the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Department of Education

• Nearly 500 Department of Education (ED) employees were laid off last Friday as part of a new round of federal workforce cuts carried out during the ongoing government shutdown. The reductions, directed by the Office of Management and Budget under the Trump administration, come after weeks of warnings that agencies could face layoffs if Congress failed to pass a funding bill. ED confirmed that staff from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), whose workforce had already been reduced by about one-half in March 2025, the Student Services division in the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Offices of Elementary and Secondary Education, Communications and Outreach, and Special Education, were affected, while the Office of Federal Student Aid was not impacted. The layoffs are scheduled to take effect in December. On September 30, several unions filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in California challenging the Administration’s ability to fire federal employees as a result of the government shutdown.  On October 15, the Court issued a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of any layoffs during the government shutdown.
  
  The move is part of a broader effort that has resulted in more than 4,200 federal employees losing their jobs across eight agencies. Administration officials described the cuts as part of a plan to streamline government operations, while unions and lawmakers raised concerns that the layoffs could disrupt essential education programs and further strain agency functions during the shutdown.
   
• In the August 14 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported 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 that ED later wrote that institutions will be required to report data on the race, gender, test scores and grade point averages of college applicants. In a letter to ED dated October 7, the American Council on Education (ACE) and 37 other higher education associations urged ED to reconsider its approach, expressing concerns that the new data reporting requirements are unduly burdensome and will, among other things, “result in unreliable and misleading data that is intended to be used against institutions of higher education.”
   
• In the September 5 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that on August 28, President Trump issued a memorandum directing the attorney general to investigate whether federal grant funds are being used to “illegally support lobbying activities” or “as slush funds for political and legislative advocacy,” and to take appropriate enforcement action. On September 30, ED published a “Dear Colleague Letter” reminding universities of the legal restrictions on using federal grant funds for lobbying, including that the use of grant funds for membership dues to professional or trade organizations whose primary purpose is lobbying is prohibited. The letter reminds institutions that failure to comply may result in disallowed costs, audit findings, program reviews, and additional oversight or enforcement actions by ED up to the termination of a grant.  
   
• ED has delayed the semiannual meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) for the second time this year, citing the ongoing government shutdown. Originally scheduled for July and later postponed to October 21, the meeting is now set for December 16. In an email to committee members, Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Andrade said that most department staff supporting NACIQI have been furloughed, requiring the rescheduling. The agenda was expected to include compliance reports from five accrediting agencies and remarks from Under Secretary Nicholas Kent, along with the anticipated introduction of six new Trump-appointed members.

Actions Related to Other Universities

• University of Nevada Reno: On September 26, the Department of Justice informed the University of Nevada Reno that it was referring to ED for investigation reports that the university is providing assistance to students who are illegal immigrants, specifically by providing assistance to illegal aliens “with on-campus and community resource referrals, financial aid and academic support.” DOJ alleges that such assistance violates the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which “prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.”
   
• Harvard University: As of October 14, most of Harvard University’s federal research funding has been reinstated following a court decision that struck down the Trump administration’s earlier freeze on the university’s access to grants. A federal judge ruled last month that the restrictions were unconstitutional, allowing taxpayer dollars to begin flowing again. Harvard’s chief financial officer confirmed that the university has received “reinstatements of the majority of our direct federal awards,” though the total amount restored remains unclear. 
  
  While the decision marks a major relief for researchers, uncertainty persists about long-term funding stability. Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, cautioned faculty to limit research spending to 80 percent of grant totals until full funding reliability is confirmed.

Federal Grantmaking and Research

• In the July 24 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that on July 18, the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction in the Association of American Universities’ (AAU) challenge to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) announced 15% cap on indirect cost rates for research grants. On October 10, the Court granted AAU’s motion for summary judgment barring DoD from imposing the change. In so holding, the Court rejected DoD’s argument that, per the Supreme Court’s August 21 emergency docket ruling limiting district court jurisdiction over grant-related disputes, the proper forum for the litigation was the Court of Federal Claims.
   
• In the October 3 and 10 editions of the GW Weekly Federal Update we reported that the Trump Administration invited nine universities to join the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” which promised signatories that they would receive a competitive advantage in the award of federal grants and contracts. In an October 12 “Truth Social” post, President Trump appears to have extended an open invitation to all institutions of higher education to sign on to the Compact. The Administration has not released any information on how universities could do so. 
  
  The university is aware of recent news reports about the Compact. As with other similar recent matters, our practice is to confer with our trustees, governance partners, and our faculty experts and legal counsel, and to update the community as we can.
  
  On October 10, MIT, and on October 15, Brown University, two of the nine universities that received the initial Compact invitation, informed the Administration that they would not sign the Compact. The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California also have said they would not sign.

Higher Education Advocacy

• Over the past several weeks, higher education associations have engaged in coordinated advocacy related to federal policy actions affecting colleges and universities, including the above-mentioned admissions data collection proposal. In addition, groups have also commented on the use of FY26 federal funds. AAU, ACE, and 61 additional associations sent a joint letter to congressional leaders urging lawmakers to ensure that all FY26 appropriations are spent as directed by Congress. The letter highlighted uncertainty surrounding the disbursement of federal grants and contracts, noting that delays have disrupted research operations and student support. The groups called for clear legislative language requiring the administration to allocate appropriated funds fully and on schedule.

In Case You're Wondering: GW's NROTC

In recent weeks, some members of the university community have noticed students from the George Washington University Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) wearing camouflage uniforms and have asked about their role on campus. These individuals are full-time students of the university and should not be mistaken for active-duty service members, law enforcement, or members of the National Guard.

The NROTC is a leadership development program that allows students to earn their degree while simultaneously pursuing a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation. Students enrolled in the program, also known as Midshipmen, take naval science courses, conduct physical training, and develop their leadership skills as part of their academic schedule.

GW’s NROTC unit, led by CAPT. Christina Dalmau, Professor of Naval Science, includes students from George Washington, Catholic, Georgetown, and Howard universities. All official NROTC activities are supervised by Naval Science Instructors.

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.