Building on CUNY’s Success: Meeting Students’ Basic Needs in Changing Times

In December 2025, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), in partnership with Young Invincibles and uAspire, hosted our first forum for advocates working on student-centered higher education policy in New York State. This blog recaps the day's events, key themes, and next steps.

In February 2026, the Congressional Budget Office released new funding projections for the Pell Grant program. Absent congressional action, the Pell program is now projected to face a funding gap of $5.4 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which would grow to nearly $11.5 billion for FY 2027. Lawmakers face a choice: invest enough to keep the program whole or make harmful cuts.

Income-based plans are the best tool we have to keep borrowers out of delinquency and default. But if payments aren’t actually affordable, borrowers fall behind. 

The Dept. of Education held the second and final Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee neg reg session to discuss regulations to implement earnings accountability metrics for postsecondary programs.

TICAS' president looks back on the challenges we've faced in 2025, our organizational accomplishments, and the work ahead.

Last week, ED held the first AHEAD committee negotiated rulemaking (“neg reg”) session, convening stakeholders to negotiate the implementation of regulatory changes from H.R.1. Most notably, the committee discussed the extension of Workforce Pell Grants to short-term job training programs. Our new blog breaks down seven primary areas of discussion during the neg reg.