House Education and Workforce Subcommittee Holds Hearing on College Costs
On February 4, 2026, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing entitled, “Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts,” which focused on the rising costs of higher education and possible solutions that can be employed to reduce college costs. During the hearing, Members and witnesses discussed the rising costs of higher education in the United States, how the changes to Federal student loans included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will impact college access and college affordability, and competing approaches to controlling costs. The press release from the Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) includes a link to the hearing.
Chairman Owens said in his opening statement: “I’m proud this committee has taken meaningful action to address the college affordability crisis, but there’s more to do. I’m confident that restoring market incentives to higher education will result in better pricing for students. Every student should feel empowered to pursue an education that fits their goal and know the degree they choose is going to be worth the cost.”
Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, said in her opening statement: “Republicans’ big ugly law makes this crisis worse – changes to Pell Grants, new borrowing limits, and a restructured repayment system narrow the pathways to higher education, particularly for underserved communities. These reforms risk turning college into an expensive privilege rather than a public good. This hearing is about one simple question, do we believe college should be accessible to everyone willing to work for it, or only to those who can afford it.”
FY 2026 Funding Bill Signed into Law After a Brief Government Shutdown
On January 22, 2026, the House of Representatives passed 12 appropriations bills for FY 2026, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill, by a vote of 341 to 88. The FY 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act would flat-fund the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs. The maximum Pell Grant award would be set at $7,395 for the 2026-2027 award year, consistent with the 2025-2026 award year. The FSEOG program would receive $910 million in funding, and the FWS program would receive $1.2 billion in funding, the same as the final FY 2025 funding levels.
Additionally, the legislation includes a provision that would prohibit the transfer of funding for the Department to another Federal agency, unless specified in the appropriations law. The legislation also includes a provision that requires the Department to maintain the staff necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. Finally, the funding bill requires the Department to make formula grants available to states and districts on time, which will prevent funding from being withheld.
Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee Bobby Scott (D-VA) said: “While I would want to see more funding for critical programs, including an increase in the maximum Pell Grant and increasing enforcement capacity to protect workers and their health coverage, I am relieved this did not codify Trump’s requested elimination of programs that Congress created to help students, workers, and families. While far from perfect, the bill is dramatically better than the original funding request proposed by the Trump administration.”
On January 30, 2026, by a vote of 71 to 29, the Senate passed a funding package that included the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill, four other appropriations bills, and a two-week continuing resolution (CR) to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rather than the full DHS bill that was originally sent over by the House. After a brief partial government shutdown, the final funding agreement was passed by the House by a vote of 217 to 214, and President Trump signed it into law on February 3, 2026.
Almost all federal agencies have been funded for FY 2026, but over the next two weeks, Congress still has to work out funding for DHS. This package will be treated as its own funding bill and will have no impact on funding for the Department of Education.
ED Releases Latest Foreign Funding Disclosures from American Colleges and Universities
On February 11, 2026, the Department of Education released data compiled from foreign funding disclosures submitted by American colleges and universities for 2025 resulting from over 8,300 transactions worth more than $5.2 billion in reportable foreign gifts and contracts. These disclosures are required by Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which obligates universities receiving Federal financial assistance to disclose foreign source gifts and contracts with a value of $250,000 or more annually to the Department.
The most recent disclosures from 2025 identify Qatar (over $1.1 billion), the United Kingdom (over $633 million), China (over $528 million), Switzerland (over $451 million), Japan (over $374 million), Germany (over $292 million), and Saudi Arabia (over $285 million) as the largest foreign sources of gifts and contracts. Covering the period from 1986 through December 16, 2025, Harvard University disclosed that it received over $610 million, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (over $490 million), New York University (over $462 million), Stanford University (over $418 million), and Yale University (over $400 million).
The data is now available for public inspection on the new foreign funding reporting portal.
FSA Releases Tentative 2026-2027 Funding Levels for the Campus-Based Programs
On January 30, 2026, Federal Student Aid (FSA) released an Electronic Announcement (CB-26-02), which posted the tentative funding levels and corresponding worksheets for the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program for the 2026-2027 award year. The 2026-2027 award year Campus-Based tentative award funding levels are based on the amounts contained in the 2025-2026 award year appropriations. FSA stated that it will notify schools by email when their tentative funding levels and worksheets are available.
FSA Announces 2026-2027 Federal Pell Grant Maximum and Minimum Award Amounts
On January 30, 2026, Federal Student Aid (FSA) issued a Dear Colleague letter (DCL) (GEN-26-01), which announced the maximum Pell Grant award for the 2026-2027 award year of $7,395 and the minimum Pell Grant award for the 2026-2027 award year of $740. The DCL reminded schools that the maximum and minimum Pell Grant award eligibility is determined based on tax filing requirements, family size and composition, federal poverty guidelines, and state of residence. If a student qualifies for a maximum Pell Grant award, the Student Aid Index (SAI) is not used to determine the amount of the grant. “An SAI-calculated Pell Grant award is determined by subtracting the student’s calculated SAI from the annual published maximum Pell Grant amount, then rounding to the nearest $5. If the SAI-calculated Pell Grant is less than the published minimum Pell Grant award, the student is ineligible for an SAI-calculated Pell Grant. However, the student may still be eligible for a minimum Pell Grant if they meet the minimum Pell Grant eligibility requirements.”
The DCL also reminded schools of the following:
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) prohibits an applicant whose SAI is equal to or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant amount for the award year from receiving a Pell Grant. For the 2026-2027 award year, the SAI threshold is $14,790.
- Students may be eligible to receive Pell Grant funds for up to 150 percent of the student’s Pell Grant scheduled award for an award year.
- When determining a student’s scheduled award, the total cost of attendance is always based on the costs for a full-time student for a full academic year, regardless of the actual enrollment intensity or actual time the student will be enrolled during the award year.
- A student’s annual Pell Grant award reflects the Pell Grant award amount adjusted based on the student’s enrollment intensity.
- A student’s eligibility to receive a Pell Grant award may be limited by the statutory provision in the Higher Education Act, as amended, that sets a lifetime Pell Grant eligibility limit of 12 semesters or its equivalent.
ED Issues NRPM to Reduce Cost of Higher Education and Simplify Student Loan Repayment
On January 29, 2026, the Department of Education announced that it was issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at “reducing the cost of higher education and simplifying federal student loan repayment as outlined in President Trump’s historic Families Tax Cuts Act (the Act).” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said: “With consensus of the Department’s proposed rule, we have a clear path forward to fulfill the President’s promise of making higher education more affordable and ensuring that every professional in America – from teachers and nurses to physicians and clergy – can pursue their careers without taking on debt they may never be able to repay.”
On January 30, 2026, the Department of Education published in the Federal Register the NPRM to implement the statutory changes to the Title IV, HEA programs included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The NPRM was the subject of the Reimaging and Improving Student Education (RISE) negotiated rulemaking committee that reached consensus on the entire package of 17 proposals. Comments on the NPRM are due March 2, 2026.
The NPRM follows the consensus agreement and includes the following changes:
- Amending annual and aggregate loan limits for graduate, professional, and parent loan borrowers.
- Implementing two new student loan repayment plans for new borrowers, the Repayment Assistance Plan and the Tiered Standard Repayment plan.
- Amending current regulations on consolidation, deferment, forbearance, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
- Providing borrowers in default a second opportunity to rehabilitate their loans and resume repayment, even if they previously rehabilitated a default loan.
- Amending the “substantially equal disbursement” requirement when a borrower is less than full-time enrollment for the academic year and is subject to the schedule of reductions.
The introduction to the NPRM addressed the definition of “professional student,” which was hotly debated during the negotiated rulemaking process. “The term ‘professional student’ as used in this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is intended solely to distinguish those programs that we propose would be eligible for higher loan limits, as required by the OBBB. The designation, or lack thereof, of a program as ‘professional’ does not reflect a value judgment by the Department regarding whether a borrower graduating from the program is considered a “professional.” We are including the proposed definition as it generated much discussion and interest during the negotiated rulemaking session since whether a program or not meets the definition of “professional program” determines higher annual and aggregate loan limits:
“Professional student: A student enrolled in a program of study that awards a professional degree upon completion of the program;
(1) A professional degree is a degree that:
(i) Signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession, and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree;
(ii) Is generally at the doctoral level, and that requires at least six academic years of postsecondary education coursework for completion, including at least two years of post-baccalaureate level coursework;
(iii) Generally requires professional licensure to begin practice; and
(iv) Includes a four-digit program CIP code, as assigned by the institution or determined by the Secretary, in the same intermediate group as the fields listed in paragraph (2)(i) of this definition.
(2) A professional degree may be awarded in the following fields:
(i) Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (DC or DCM.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.), and Clinical Psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.).
(3) A professional student under this definition:
(i) May not receive title IV aid as an undergraduate student for the same period of enrollment; and
(ii) Must be enrolled in a program leading to a professional degree under paragraph (2) of this definition.”
The preamble discussed how specific programs did not meet the definition of a “professional degree.” The programs that did not meet the definition of a “professional degree” included the MBA in Business, the M.Ed/Ed.D./Ed.S. in Education, the MSOT/OTD in Occupational Therapy, the N.D. in Naturopathic Medicine, the MSN/DNP in Nursing, the DPT in Physical Therapy, the MSPAS in Physician’s Assistant, the MPH in Public Health, the MSW/DSW in Social Work, and Pilot Training and Licensure.
ED Publishes Notice of Accreditation Negotiated Rulemaking
On January 26, 2026, the Department of Education announced its intent to establish the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking committee to develop proposed regulations that would “simplify the Secretary’s recognition of emerging and existing accreditors; examine the extent to which accreditation contributes to rising higher education costs and credential inflation; safeguard against undue influence from related private trade associations; eliminate standards or policies that discriminate on the basis of immutable characteristics; and refocus quality assurance and improvement on data-driven student outcomes.”
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said: “Accreditation functions as the central nervous system of higher education, and the system cannot be made healthy without addressing its deepest flaws.”
On January 27, 2026, the Department of Education published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, to establish the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee. The AIM Committee will consider amending the regulations for the Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and related institutional eligibility regulations found in 34 C.F.R. Parts 602 and 600.
The Notice of Intent lists the following topics that will be addressed:
- Simplifying and streamlining the regulations for recognition and review of accrediting agencies for the stated purpose of increasing competition among accrediting agencies while increasing institutional choice between accrediting agencies;
- Revising the criteria and related standards to emphasize criteria and standards requirements that effectively focus on student achievement and outcomes, high educational quality, and high-value programs while removing requirements that are anticompetitive and increase costs;
- Amending requirements for accrediting agencies’ standards to require all accrediting agencies and associations to have standards that consider program-level student achievement and outcomes data to improve such outcomes without reference to race, ethnicity, or sex and to ensure that accrediting agency procedures for taking action on noncompliance findings resulting from the Office of Civil Rights investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 provide for expeditious resolution and actions;
- Reviewing of accrediting agencies’ concurrent oversight responsibilities in the “regulatory triad” of accrediting agencies, States, and the Department, and determining what accreditation standards are needed or should be eliminated;
- Reviewing the role that accrediting agency standards have played in promoting violations of Federal law, including unlawful discrimination by member institutions under the guise of accreditation standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion and adoption of appropriate regulatory safeguards to prevent such violations of federal law;
- Determining whether the current regulations in 34 C.F.R. § 602.18 and other regulations should be clarified or expanded to ensure that the use of new learning models and innovative program delivery approaches by accredited institutions is not impeded by accreditation standards or accrediting agency decisions;
- Expanding current regulations on accreditation standards for faculty to include support for and appropriate prioritization of intellectual diversity amongst faculty in furtherance of academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, and student achievement;
- Amending the standards governing when an accrediting agency is deemed separate and independent from any related, associated, or affiliated trade association or membership organizations;
- Making technical changes and corrections; and
- Addressing other Administration priorities relating to accreditation.
The call for nominations includes twelve constituencies, which includes a representative for proprietary institutions. The deadline for nominations is February 26, 2026.
The AIM Committee will meet in-person in Washington, DC, for two sessions on April 13-27, 2026, and May 18-22, 2026.
ED Requests Extension for Processing Student Loan Forgiveness Applications Affected by Fraud
On January 26, 2026, Forbes reported that the Department of Education filed a second request on January 22, 2026, to extend the time to process student loan forgiveness applications for students asking for loan forgiveness for their loans to be forgiven because of fraud. This is the latest development in the Sweet v. Cardona (now Sweet v. McMahon) settlement agreement. Under the terms of the 2022 settlement agreement, which was approved by Judge William Alsup, in the Northern District of California, the Department of Education was to complete its review of the final group of borrower defense applications by January 28, 2026. [Judge Alsup has retired, and the case has been assigned to Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.]
In December, the Trump Administration asked for an 18-month delay, but Judge Alsup denied the request. When the Department asked for reconsideration on January 22, 2026, it said that it only recently received adequate funding from Congress in July to hire the staff needed to meet this deadline. They argued that it would be a huge burden on taxpayers if it was to provide an automatic $6 billion windfall for borrowers who might not have been eligible for relief had their student loan forgiveness applications been adjudicated.
ED Withdraws Appeal of Court Ruling that Blocked its Effort to Deem Race-Based Programming Illegal
On January 21, 2026, various newsletters reported that the Department of Education withdrew its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked its effort to deem race-based programming illegal. On February 14, 2025, the Department issued a Dear Colleague letter (DCL) clarifying and reaffirming the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. The DCL described the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), which clarified the use of racial preferences is unlawful. “Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarship, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all aspects of student, academic, and campus life. Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race.”
The DCL was challenged in court by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, arguing that the Department violated administrative procedure law and institutions’ First Amendment rights. The Department argued the DCL guidance only enforced existing Federal civil rights laws and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action. In August 2025, Federal District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher, for the District of Maryland, blocked the Department’s guidance.
No reason for withdrawing its appeal was reported by the Department of Education.
FSA Addresses PPA Signature Requirements
On January 16, 2026, Federal Student Aid (FSA) released an Electronic Announcement (EA) (GENERAL-26-04) addressing the general circumstances in which an owner-entity of an eligible institution will be required to sign a Program Participation Agreement (PPA). The EA states that the current rules require that for all proprietary or nonprofit institutions, an authorized representative of an entity with direct or indirect ownership of an institution must sign the PPA, in addition to having an authorized institutional representative sign the PPA. In response to a challenge to the legality of 34 C.F.R. § 668.14(a)(3)(ii) in Hannibal-La-Grange University v. U.S. Department of Education, the EA states that the Secretary has agreed not to enforce the automatic owner-entity signature requirement in the manner set forth in 34 C.F.R. § 668.14(a)(3)(ii), but may require an owner-entity signature requirement on a case-by-case basis. However, no criteria are provided in the EA that ED will use in determining when an owner-entity signature may be required. The Department also agrees to revise 34 C.F.R. § 668.14(a)(3)(ii) in the future.
The EA goes on to say that the Secretary will not require a financial guarantee from an institution, or the assumption of personal liability by one or more individuals exercising substantial control over the institution, where the institution has met the conditions specified in 20 U.S.C. § 1099c(e)(4)(A)-(D). The conditions include when the institution: (1) has not been subjected to an LS&T action by the Secretary or a guaranty agency within the preceding five years; (2) has not had, during its two most recent compliance audits, an audit finding that resulted in the institution being required to repay an amount greater than 5 percent of the Title IV funds the institution received for any year; (3) meets and has met the Title IV financial responsibility standards for the preceding five years; and (4) has not been cited during the preceding five years for failure to timely submit its annual audits.
The Secretary noted that she may determine on an individualized basis, that an entity is not required to sign the PPA for other reasons, such as where other alternative protections, like a letter of credit, are in effect.
Finally, the effective date of the new owner-entity signature policy will be applied to a PPA issued on or after the date of the EA, January 16, 2026. The Department will not entertain a request to remove an owner-entity signature from a PPA that is currently in effect. The EA also states that the Department intends to apply this guidance prospectively, including upon renewal of a PPA.
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed on January 26, 2026, “[t]he Biden Administration’s regulation was over broad as it required all private institutional owners, including at faith-based colleges, to sign program participation agreements. Moving forward, the Trump Administration will adhere to the law … This approach will protect taxpayers while not creating undue burden on institutions.”
Education Delays Involuntary Collections on Federal Student Loans
On January 16, 2026, the Department of Education announced that it will delay the implementation of involuntary collections on federal student loans, including Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) and the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). The temporary delay will enable the Department to implement major student loan repayment reforms under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to give borrowers more options to repay their loans. “These reforms, which include simplifying repayment options and providing an additional opportunity for borrowers to rehabilitate their federal student loans, reflect the Trump Administration’s commitment to provide better support for current and future borrowers in repayment.”
Department of Education to Shift HEP Division to Department of Labor
On January 15, 2026, the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced they have taken additional steps to integrate the postsecondary education and workforce development programs. Beginning the week of January 20, 2026, staff in the Higher Education Programs (HEP) Division of ED’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) will be detailed to work at DOL as the agencies work together to better coordinate Federal postsecondary programs.
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. David Barker said: “As the American economy continues to create new opportunities, the Trump Administration is realigning postsecondary education to ensure students are prepared for success in the workforce.”
Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration Dr. Henry Mack said: “The groundbreaking interagency collaboration between our Departments is anchored in American’s Talent Strategy – streamlining fragmented higher education programs into a unified system that prioritizes industry-driven training, boosts worker mobility, enhances accountability, and unleashes innovation to equip millions of students with the skills needed for economic dominance and personal prosperity.”
FSA Releases Registration Information on 2026 Federal Student Aid Training Conference
On January 14, 2026, Federal Student Aid (FSA) released an Electronic Announcement (GENERAL-26-03) providing details on how schools can register for the 2026 Federal Student Aid Training Conference to be held on March 4-6, 2026. Only one representative from a school can complete the registration on or before January 30, 2026. If demand is greater than available space, FSA will use a lottery process to randomly select schools that may attend.
GAO Issues Report Examining the Costs of the RIF at ED’s Office of Civil Rights
On February 2, 2026, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that examined the Department of Education’s Reduction-in-Force (RIF) in its Office of Civil Rights (OCR). In March 2025, the Department initiated layoffs for about half the staff in OCR. The report titled, “Department of Education: Full Costs and Savings Estimate Needed for Reduction-in-Force and Restructuring of the Office for Civil Rights (GAO-26-108320),” concluded that the RIF could have cost over $38 million to pay the salaries and benefits for Civil Rights staff who were not working from March to December 2025.
GAO examined the RIF at OCR between February 2025 through early January 2026, along with associated costs and savings of the RIF, and OCR’s workload. OCR is one of the 17 offices within ED, including Federal Student Aid (FSA), which were impacted by the RIF efforts. However, this GAO report solely focused on the impact of the RIF on OCR. GAO plans to examine similar issues regarding the RIF in other offices and will create separate reports for the other offices.
Beginning in March 2025, 299 OCR employees, out of 575 staff, were subject to a RIF and placed on administrative leave with pay. Seven of OCR’s 12 regional offices closed in March. Following legal challenges, including a Supreme Court order enabling the Trump Administration to carry out its RIF plans at ED, 247 OCR staff were placed on a paid administrative leave between March to December 2025.
Based on the Department’s court filings, GAO estimated that paying salaries and benefits to OCR staff who were subject to the RIF cost between $18 and $24 million from mid-March through September 5, 2025. GAO estimated it cost the Department an additional $10.5 to $14 million to pay the salaries and benefits for the staff remaining on administrative leave from September 8 through December 12, 2025. GAO concluded that from March 21, 2025, to December 12, 2025, ED’s RIF of OCR staff cost about $28.5 to $38 million.
GAO also found that from March to September 2025, OCR received over 9,000 complaints of alleged discrimination and resolved over 7,000 complaints. About 90 percent of these complaints were resolved by ED dismissing the complaints.
GAO recommended that the Department should estimate the full costs and savings associated with its RIF effort, and document its analysis, as required by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance.
NCAN Releases Report Showing Increase in Pell Grant Eligibility in the 2025-2026 FAFSA Cycle
On January 28, 2026, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) released a report reflecting an increase in Pell Grant eligibility with more than 1.7 million more students qualifying for the maximum Pell Grants in the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle as compared to the 2023-2024 award year, the final cycle before the Federal Student Aid (FSA) simplification efforts began. This represents a 27 percent increase in the total number of students eligible for the maximum Pell Grant in the 2025-2026 award year as compared to the 2023-2024 award year. In addition to the increases in Pell Grant eligibility, FSA has seen a 150 percent increase in FAFSA applications. The report concluded that “[m]aking it easier to apply for financial aid and simplifying the eligibility criteria results in more students qualifying for Pell Grants and other financial aid.”
President Trump Seeks $1 Billion from Harvard University
Various newspapers announced that the Trump Administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University. The Trump Administration dropped its demand for a $200 million payment to the government to settle the dispute over alleged antisemitism and concerns about diversity practices.
Lumina Foundation Releases its Annual Report Assessing the Value of Postsecondary Credentials
On February 6, 2026, the Lumina Foundation released its annual report, “A Stronger Nation: Credentials of Value,” which assesses the value of postsecondary credentials. The data tool shows growth in credential attainment beyond a high school degree among U.S. adults ages 25-64, from 39 percent in 2009 to 55 percent in 2024. However, when applying Lumina Foundation’s earnings threshold, which is defined as credentials that lead to 15 percent higher earnings than a high school diploma alone, the percentage falls to 43.6 percent.
The report indicated the following:
- 54 percent of adults with an associate degree earn at least 15 percent more than those with only a high school diploma;
- 55 percent of adults with a certificate earn at least 15 percent more than those with only a high school diploma;
- 70 percent of adults with a bachelor’s degree earn at least 15 percent more than those with only a high school diploma; and
- 80 percent of adults with a graduate or professional degree earn at least 15 percent more than those with only a high school diploma.
The report also indicated that there were significant variations by state, with credential value exceeding the national average in places such as the District of Columbia (67.7 percent), Colorado (51.7 percent), and Massachusetts (52.5 percent). Some states, such as West Virginia (34.6 percent), Nevada (33.6 percent), and Puerto Rico (25.0 percent), fell below the national average.
Sharon H. Bob, Ph.D.
Higher Education Specialist
Powers Pyles Sutter and Verville, PC
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February 15, 2026
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