Overview

The Office of Postsecondary Education (DOE) will establish two negotiated rulemaking committees to draft regulations for Federal student financial assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA):

1. RISE Committee – Focused on Federal student loan programs.
2. AHEAD Committee – Focused on institutional and program accountability, Pell Grants, and related Title IV changes.

These committees will address statutory changes from Public Law 119-21, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, as well as other Administration priorities.

Public Participation

• Virtual Public Hearing:August 7, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET
  • Register to speak by emailing negreghearing@ed.gov by July 28, 2025 (12:00 p.m. ET).
  • Each speaker: 3-minute limit.
  • Accommodations available (see “Reasonable Accommodations” in the official notice).
• Written Comments Deadline: Submit via Regulations.gov by August 25, 2025.
  • Include the docket ID.
  • Duplicate mass campaign comments will be grouped.

Key Regulatory Issues

RISE Committee (Student Loans)

1. Phase-out of Grad PLUS Loans.
2. New borrowing caps: Annual limits for graduate/professional students and parents, plus lifetime caps.
3. Repayment plan changes:
   • One standard repayment plan.
   • One income-based Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) for new borrowers.
   • Elimination of Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR).
   • Streamlined Income-Based Repayment (IBR) rules for current borrowers.
4. Institutional loan flexibility: Schools may set lower annual borrowing limits for specific programs.
5. Loan rehabilitation reforms:
   • Second rehabilitation opportunity for defaulted loans.
   • Minimum monthly payments.
   • End of unemployment/economic hardship deferments.
   • Limits on general forbearance.
6. Implementation timelines: Provisions effective on enactment or on July 1 of 2026, 2027, or 2028.

AHEAD Committee (Accountability & Pell)

1. Program accountability:
   • Loss of Direct Loan eligibility for programs with poor earnings outcomes (2 out of 3 years).
   • Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment metrics.
2. Workforce Pell Grant eligibility:
   • For 8–15 week programs leading to a recognized credential or degree, governor-approved, with strong outcomes.
3. Pell Grant limits:
   • No Pell for students with full grant/scholarship coverage or a Student Aid Index > 2x the maximum Pell award.
4. Other provisions: Effective on enactment or on July 1 of 2026, 2027, or 2028.

Committee Membership & Nominations

Two committees will include representatives from key constituency groups:

RISE Committee (Loans):

• Borrowers (in school, repayment, deferment, default)
• Veterans/military borrowers
• Legal aid, consumer advocates, civil rights groups
• State officials (grant agencies, regulators)
• Public, private nonprofit, proprietary, Tribal, and HBCU institutions
• Loan servicers, lenders, collection agencies
• Taxpayer/public interest groups

AHEAD Committee (Accountability & Pell):

• Current Title IV recipients
• Veterans/military students
• Employers/business groups
• Legal aid, consumer advocates, civil rights groups
• Public, private nonprofit, proprietary, Tribal, and HBCU institutions
• Workforce agencies, state grant agencies, higher ed regulators
• Accrediting agencies
• Taxpayer/public interest groups

Nomination Deadline: August 25, 2025

• RISE: nominationsfederalstudentloans@ed.gov
• AHEAD: negregnominations@ed.gov
  Include: nominee name, constituency, employer, resume, contact info, and committee designation.

List of negotiators will be posted here.

Negotiation Schedule

RISE Committee (Loans):

• Session 1: Sept. 29 – Oct. 3, 2025
• Session 2: Nov. 3 – 7, 2025

AHEAD Committee (Accountability & Pell):

• Session 1: Dec. 8 – 12, 2025
• Session 2: Jan. 5 – 9, 2026

Sessions: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET, in-person and livestreamed.
Registration link will be posted here.

Additional Information

• Accessible Formats: Available upon request.
• Hearing transcripts: Will be posted online.
• Contact for questions:
  • Tamy Abernathy – (202) 245-4595 | NegRegNPRMHelp@ed.gov
  • Telecommunications relay: 7-1-1

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1098a