The Key with Inside Higher Ed Ep.: 185: Three Stories that Defined Higher Ed Policy in 2025
Dec 18, 2025
Jessica Blake, a federal policy reporter with a focus on U.S. higher education, and Katherine Knott, a news editor covering higher ed trends, dive into the pivotal policy stories of 2025. They discuss the groundbreaking 'Big Beautiful Bill' (OB3) and its sweeping changes, including loan caps and Workforce Pell guardrails. The duo highlights the shifting federal-state relationship, the growing impact of anti-DEI laws, and potential reforms in accreditation. Listeners gain insight into the challenges and implications for higher education's future.
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Act Now On Workforce Pell Data Requirements
- Pay close attention to the Workforce Pell "70-70" guardrail for completion and job-placement in-field tests.
- States and programs must build data systems now to document outcomes if they want Pell access.
Prepare For New Graduate Loan Classifications
- Watch the negotiated-rulemaking outcomes that define who is a "professional" and which programs get higher grad loan caps.
- Institutions should analyze program classifications now to anticipate student financing impacts.
Federal Cuts Could Trigger State Higher-Ed Cuts
- Federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP under OB3 could push states to trim higher-education budgets.
- Higher ed may face renewed state-level budget vulnerability as social program funding tightens.