Washington Update 

APLU Shutdown Statement and Resources 
After congressional leaders were unable to reach a government spending deal, funding lapsed on October 1, leading to a partial government shutdown. APLU released a statement on the shutdown’s harmful impacts on public and land-grant universities and called for the White House and Congress to find the path forward to reopen. 

The White House announced that agency contingency plans will no longer be collated on a central webpage and solely posted on agency websites. Therefore, APLU developed a compilation of agency lapse plans and other resources. APLU’s Office of Governmental Affairs will update with new resources as they are available. 

The Big Picture: On September 29, President Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in hopes of averting a government shutdown on October 1. The meeting came several days after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo instructing agencies to engage in further Reductions in Force if the government were to shutdown. 

Since the meeting, most Senate Democrats remain opposed to the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through November 21. Senate Republicans maintain opposition to a Democratic counterproposal to attach healthcare related policy issues to a CR.  

Trump Administration Unveils Higher Ed Compact  
On October 2, the White House and U.S. Department of Education issued a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine institutions, four of which are APLU members. The request asks the institutions to commit to a compact in exchange for certain preferences from the federal government, including federal funding.  

While APLU has not received an official copy from the federal government, the Washington Examiner posted a copy of the compact. APLU understands institutions also received a one-page cover letter requesting comments by October 20^th and noting intentions to finalize agreements no later than November 21. While the effort is reportedly limited to nine institutions at the moment, it seems likely to expand.  

APLU Submits Comment on Duration of Status Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
Last month, APLU submitted comments on the Trump administration’s proposed duration of status rule, which would restrict the amount of time that international students can stay in the United States among other provisions. The comments address following main points:  

• DHS should utilize existing authorities and systems to deter fraud and abuse of F-1 and J-1 nonimmigrant visas.  

• The proposed rule does not accurately reflect the true costs and burdens to F-1 and J-1 

• The proposed rule will weaken the nation’s ability to attract the world’s top talent. 

APLU also joined ACE and over 50 associations in submitting community comments on the proposed rule, as well as a multi-sector letter featuring education, industry, and legal associations. Additionally, Compete America, an industry-higher education coalition of which APLU is a member, submitted comments.   

APLU thanks member institutions for sharing impacts of the proposed rule. The feedback was instrumental in informing and developing the APLU letter. 

AAUP, et. al. File Litigation on H-1B Proclamation  
The American Association of University Professors and a group of co-plaintiffs filed a legal challenge to a recent Trump administration proclamation that imposes a $100,000 employer fee on new H-1B visas. The administration has not yet formally clarified whether the fee will apply to H-1B cap-exempt entities, like universities.  

The compliant, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California, challenges the proclamation as unconstitutional and unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).  

APLU Joins Community Letter to U.S. Department of Education on Termination of FY25 MSI Funding 
On October 3, APLU joined a higher education community letter to House and Senate leadership on the termination of FY25 Minority-Serving Institutions funding at the U.S. Department of Education. The letter requests Congress “maintain and expand funding for all of these programs in FY 2026 but to also restore the critical funding for MSIs that was unilaterally and unexpectedly terminated in FY 2025.” Recognizing the value of all of these institutions, the letter calls upon Congress to demonstrate its history of strong bipartisan support in FY26. 

NIH Rescinds Previously Announced Research Security Policies 
On September 29, NIH rescinded its previously announced research security policies, explaining that implementation for research security training (RST) requirements will be delayed to coordinate with other federal agencies and to establish a centralized process for recipients to certify compliance. 

NIH indicated that updated guidance and revised timelines will follow. Importantly, NIH has not rescinded the Other Support Training requirements detailed in (NOT-OD-25-133), and institutions should continue preparations for those requirements.