On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released final regulations excluding graduate education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” making them ineligible for higher federal student loan caps. Consequently, borrowing for these programs will be capped at $100,000, as opposed to the $200,000 cap that is placed on…
Stress over Anti-LGBTQ+ laws, policies and debates have caused nine out of 10 LGBTQ+ youth stress or anxiety, according to 2025 data released by The Trevor Project in its annual report tracking LGBTQ+ mental health. In addition, over a third of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide, while 1…
On May 4, 2026 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) published notice in the Federal Register and asked for clearance from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to begin its work on a national study of special education spending. The $5.6 million National Study of Special Education…
Through the use of universal screenings, schools have discovered a deeper pool of gifted students from populations like English learners, those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and those whose parents didn’t know how to advocate for them. They’ve also noted “twice exceptional” students whose challenges, such as dyslexia, might have masked…
On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched investigations into 36 Illinois school districts in one of the agency’s largest efforts to investigate school districts under the Trump administration. The investigations are meant to determine if school districts ”included sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in…
On April 30, 2026 a bill that would ban artificial intelligence companions from interacting with children and teens received unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee and now awaits Senate floor action. The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act (GUARD Act), would also require age verification for all…
The U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reached resolution agreements with schools and colleges in only 1% of pending cases in 2025, the lowest percentage from any OCR in over the last decade, according to a recent report from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The report…
According to an April 27, 2026 report by the Education Advisory Board (EAB), 67% of surveyed high school graduates who decided not to enroll in college cited the cost of living expenses as their primary motivator, according to new data published by consultancy EAB. That’s a sharp rise from the…
According to a recent blog post by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), strategies that help students feel connected and supported can enhance school safety. In fact, the blog also reports that research shows that investing in evidence-based approaches that build students’ psychological sense of safety — such as developing trusting…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to restart a suicide prevention hotline specialized for LGBTQ+ youth less than a year after President Donald Trump’s administration discontinued it. The LGBTQ+ hotline is also known as the “Press 3 Option” within the broader 988 Lifeline. The 988…
