Office of the Secretary of Higher EducationU.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Announce Additional Grant Competitions Under Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership
On April 16, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) issued Fiscal Year 2026 competitions for two grant competitions, including the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grant Program. The purpose of SEED is to increase the number of highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices to prepare and develop educators. Eligible applicants include public and state institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, as well as other entities. The application close date is June 1, 2026. Visit ED鈥檚 website to review the full or to view the grant details.
U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule to Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low Earning Outcomes
On April 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education issues a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish a postsecondary education accountability framework as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Under the proposed rule, if graduate programs do not lead to earnings above those of a bachelor鈥檚 degree or if undergraduate programs do not lead to earnings above a high school graduate, the programs would no longer be eligible for federal student loans and in some cases, Pell Grants. Public comments for the proposed rule must be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal on or before May 20, 2026. The full press release, including links to the proposed rules and the eRulemaking Portal are available on .
U.S. Department of Justice Delays ADA Web Accessibility Deadline
The U.S. Department of Justice posted an interim final rule for implementing Title II of the American Disabilities Act to extend the requirements for web content and mobile application accessibility by one year for public colleges and universities and government entities. The interim final rule and the new deadlines can be found in the .
The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education is continuing to compile information about any institutions who are experiencing issues with federal funding or other impacts due to federal action. Please submit a brief summary of issues to Stefani.Thachik@oshe.nj.gov if applicable to your institution. Find updates and resources regarding federal actions on OSHE's Federal Actions Impacting Higher Education page.