ACE, Associations Urge Department of Education Not to Weaken Institute of Education Sciences

The comments were in response to a Request for Information published in the Federal Register on Sept. 25, giving only a brief window to weigh in.

In their joint letter to the department on Oct. 15, the associations emphasized the importance of preserving the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), maintaining consistent funding and priorities for IES grants, and protecting the peer review process that ensures taxpayer dollars support the highest-quality science.

The letter also underscores the need to safeguard NCES's long-standing partnerships with colleges and universities, which provide the data that make the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) the nation's most comprehensive source of information about higher education.

The comments come amid widespread concern about the future of IES and NCES following months of major staff and contract cuts. Earlier this year, ED canceled nearly $900 million in IES research contracts and terminated most NCES staff.

Reporting from Inside Higher Ed has highlighted the effects of those cuts. In June, the outlet reported that the administration ended the federal contract with the Association for Institutional Research that provided free training for college officials on how to report and use IPEDS data. And last month, it noted that the first release of higher education data from NCES since the cuts showed signs of strain, with delayed publication, missing files, and syntax errors that required correction.

The associations' letter urged the department to ensure stability and continuity in IES research funding, warning that abrupt shifts in priorities can undermine long-term studies and erode confidence in the agency's work.

ACE, AACC, and AASCU said they are prepared to assist the department as it undertakes this review of IES programs and priorities. "We stand ready to help and hope there will be further opportunities to weigh in on the department's reexamination of the research and data efforts at IES," the groups said.