ACTS Reporting Update: Conditional Extensions May Be Granted Through April 8
According to guidance confirmed with leadership at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), institutions that are unable to meet the March 18, 2026, deadline for submitting data to the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) may request an extension until April 8, 2026, under certain conditions.
To qualify for an extension, institutions must complete the following requirements by the March 18 deadline:
All ACTS screening questions must be completed for all seven ACTS years.
At least three years of ACTS data files must be uploaded to the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS).
Institutions that meet these two conditions and require additional time must request an extension from the IPEDS Help Desk — (877) 225-2568 or ipedshelp@rti.org — at any time from now until March 18. If the two conditions above are met, the institution will be granted an extension until April 8, 2026.
Important Note About the DCS Deadline Display
Institutions that contact the Help Desk before March 18 and meet the requirements will be added to an extension list. Because of how the IPEDS DCS operates, the Help Desk cannot extend an institution’s access until after the March 18 deadline has passed. An institution's access will be re-enabled beginning March 19, allowing them to continue submitting ACTS data through the April 8 extension deadline.
In the meantime, the DCS will still display March 18 as the deadline within the system.
Technical Assistance
Institutions experiencing technical issues or needing assistance with ACTS submission are encouraged to contact the IPEDS Help Desk as soon as possible.
AIR will continue monitoring ACTS implementation and sharing updates as new information becomes available.