Public Comments on the Department of Education’s Implementation of One Big Beautiful Bill

In July 2025, the Department of Education announced its intent to establish two negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare regulations necessary to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. One committee, the RISE committee, will consider changes to the Federal student loan programs and the other, the AHEAD committee will consider changes to institutional and programmatic accountability, Workforce Pell, and other issues.

On August 28, 2025, the New America Higher Education Team submitted public comments which offer recommendations on the areas the Department will consider related to student loan limits and repayment terms, accountability metrics, program-level standards for Workforce Pell, and Pell eligibility changes. Our recommendations are intended to center students and taxpayers, while helping the Department to consider how they can strengthen their oversight, guard against predatory or low-value programs, and ensure that new statutory provisions achieve their intended purpose of expanding opportunity while maintaining accountability.