A federal judge granted additional colleges more time to submit newly required admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education, extending deadlines for two higher education associations. The Association of American Universities and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts will now have until April 14 to provide race- and sex-disaggregated applicant and enrollment data. The delay is tied to a broader legal fight involving 17 Democratic attorneys general challenging the Education Department’s data collection requirements. The court is expected to hold a hearing on whether to temporarily block the agency’s new reporting demands while the lawsuit proceeds. Higher education compliance teams should treat the extended window as a working contingency: institutions in affected states and those in AAU/AICUM portfolios should continue preparing for data submission while monitoring whether the case results in further injunctions or permanent relief.