The Department of Education issued guidance reminding institutions to monitor student‑loan repayment and default rates, warning that schools with persistently poor outcomes could face loss of access to federal aid programs. The notice places loan‑repayment oversight on campus leaders, not just financial‑aid offices, and signals heightened enforcement under the current administration. Higher‑education leaders say the move raises compliance burdens as institutions grapple with recessionary job markets and changing enrollment patterns. Administrators will need to strengthen counseling, borrower outreach, and placement tracking to avoid sanctions that would sharply reduce institutional revenue and student access to grants and loans.