Senate spending proposals advanced this week would largely preserve scientific research funding, rejecting deep cuts requested by the administration and proposing roughly $188.3 billion for research — about 21% above the White House request — a move backed by scientific societies and university research offices. Senators specifically restored substantial funding to agencies such as NSF and NIH to sustain campus research programs and facilities. At the same time, the Education Department reached consensus on a regulatory package that would apply an earnings‑based accountability test to all Title IV‑eligible programs; programs that fail the earnings metric could lose federal student‑aid eligibility. Together, greater defense of research budgets and a new outcomes‑based accountability regime create a complex policy environment for universities — more money for discovery but sharper yardsticks for program-level continued access to federal aid.