The Federal Student Aid session at the 2026 NASFAA Leadership Conference offered a substantive look at where the department stands on FAFSA operations, loan repayment restructuring under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and the rulemaking process still underway for Workforce Pell and accountability. Led by Richard Lucas, Acting...
Washington, D.C. is rarely short on activity — but the 2026 CSPEN Annual Higher Education Policy Meeting arrived at a particularly pivotal moment. With negotiated rulemaking sessions underway, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) driving implementation timelines, and a newly reorganized Department of Education signaling its priorities, the conversations...
You may have seen or heard about Spotify Wrapped — the year-end recap that highlights your top songs, biggest moments, and fun stats from the past year. We decided to make our own version. M&A Wrapped is a look back at the year we just shared: the milestones reached, the work...
On December 8, 2025, the Department of Education published an Electronic Announcement stating that, effective December 7, a low earnings indicator will be implemented on the 2026/2027 FAFSA. This indicator will appear on a first-year undergraduate student’s FAFSA Submission Summary for any institution they select to receive their FAFSA data...
The Department of Education’s RISE Committee concluded its second and final week of negotiations on November 7, reaching full consensus on all proposed regulatory concepts. With consensus achieved, the Department will now draft regulatory text reflecting these agreed-upon positions. While the formal language has not yet been released, the Week...
As the calendar year comes to a close, many institutions are conducting annual performance evaluations, reviewing compensation structures, and planning staffing adjustments for the year ahead. This makes it an ideal time to revisit one of the most closely scrutinized areas of Title IV compliance: the ban on incentive compensation. Institutions...
Whether the Mergers & Acquisitions market is hot or cautious, one truth remains constant: student accounts receivable (A/R) can quietly make—or break—a school acquisition. Unwritten write-offs inflate EBITDA and net working capital, anchoring sellers to higher valuations. Once diligence reveals the real collectability picture, the resulting price reset can be...
Insight from McClintock & Associates, Professional Accounting and Advisory Services The global education and training (E&T) sector has evolved into one of the most dynamic and resilient investment frontiers. No longer viewed solely through a philanthropic lens, education is now a high-performing asset class—combining social impact with long-term stability and scalability....