On February 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education, through the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO), issued a Dear Colleague Letter providing technical assistance to presidents of institutions of higher education subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The letter addresses questions and concerns related to participation in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a national research initiative examining student political engagement across more than 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States.

  Professional Development Resource Highlight

AACRAO Podcast Release | Admit It, S06E07: Your First Class Free

In this episode of Admit It, host Dr. Alex Fronduto speaks with Jessie Richardson (Online Program Manager) and Mason Mulnix (Data Analyst) from The University of Alabama about their SEM Conference presentation, Your First Class Free: Using Tuition Grants to Increase Admit to Enrollment Conversion and Reach Enrollment Goals.

On July 4, 2025, Congress enacted P.L. 119-21, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This legislation introduces major changes to federal student financial aid programs, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Key provisions include:

January Member Spotlight: Tajhanae Peters

We’re excited to kick off our 2026 Member Spotlights by recognizing Tajhanae Peters, Graduate Admissions Counselor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Tajhanae has been an active CAPACRAO leader since October 2025, serving on the Executive Board as Vice President of Membership and as a liaison for the Legislation and Policy Committee. Her commitment to strengthening member engagement and advancing professional collaboration reflects the heart of CAPACRAO’s mission.