About this episode

The episode features a live discussion on the future of federal higher education policy at ACEx2026.

At ACEx2026 in Washington, DC, the dotEDU team recorded a special live episode during a session at the ACE Annual Meeting. Instead of the usual format, hosts Mushtaq Gunja, Sarah Spreitzer, and Jon Fansmith took turns posing questions to each other about the direction of federal higher education policy in 2026: how it may differ from the first year of President Trump's second term, what the year's major policy stories could be, where their lobbying efforts have and have not gained traction, and how to advocate effectively for colleges and universities in a contentious environment. The episode concludes with questions from the audience.

People in this episode

Hosts: Mushtaq Gunja, Sarah Spreitzer, Jon Fansmith

Topics covered

• federal higher education policy
• lobbying efforts
• advocacy for colleges
• political environment
• policy stories

Keywords

• higher education
• federal policy
• lobbying

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ACE

Places: Washington, DC

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• Student Voting Is Getting Harder. Now What? · April 8, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Workforce Pell, Professional Degrees, and a Complicated Spring in Washington · March 20, 2026 · 57 min
• A Funding Deal, the Pell Shortfall, and New Federal Pressure on Campuses · February 19, 2026 · 57 min
• What the Headlines Miss About Higher Ed: A Conversation with Kirk Carapezza · February 13, 2026 · 31 min
• What the Future Holds for Federal TRIO Programs · January 29, 2026 · 1h 1m

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