Education News

The FAFSA Overhaul Is Done. The Cleanup Is Not

The redesigned federal aid form survived its disastrous first cycle — but aid-award timing and small-college enrollment effects are still working through the system.

How School Funding Actually Works: Title I and State Formulas

How State Cellphone Ban Laws Actually Work in K-12 Schools

More than half the states now require districts to restrict student phone use, but the rules on storage, discipline, and exemptions vary widely from state to state.

Alternative Certification Now Trains 18 Percent of US Teachers

NAEP Long-Term Trend 2026: Nine-Year-Olds Gain While Teen Scores Stall

Results released June 10, 2026 show nine-year-olds improving in math and reading, while thirteen-year-olds posted no significant change in either subject compared with 2023.

FCC Review Puts $3 Billion in School Internet Funding on the Table

Education Department Offers One Percent Rate Cut for Auto Pay Enrollment

Borrowers who enroll in automatic debit by September 30, 2026 receive a full percentage point off their student loan interest rate through June 2028, part of a push to rebuild repayment rates.

Workforce Pell Final Rule Takes Effect July 1 for Short-Term Programs

The May 18, 2026 final rule lets students carry Pell Grants into training programs as short as eight weeks, with governors and state workforce boards controlling which programs qualify.

How College Accreditation Works and Why It Matters for Students

Accreditation decides whether a college can offer federal financial aid and whether your credits transfer. Here is how the system works, who runs it, and how to check any school's status before you enroll.

Proposed Rule Ties Federal Aid to Graduate Earnings Across All Sectors

The April 17, 2026 notice would strip loan eligibility from undergraduate programs whose typical graduate cannot out-earn a high school educated worker, extending accountability to nonprofit and public institutions.