Massachusetts Court Blocks ACTS Deadline Enforcement for Certain Institutions

A federal judge in Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction affecting ACTS reporting deadlines for a subset of institutions. Based on the April 24 ruling:

• The Department of Education may not enforce any ACTS deadline against member institutions of the Association of American Universities, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, the Maine Independent Colleges Association, the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, and several named institutions.
• The Department also may not seek civil penalties or otherwise penalize those institutions for not submitting ACTS data while the injunction remains in effect.
• Covered institutions must preserve relevant data in case the order is later modified or overturned.

This ruling applies to the intervenor institutions listed in the order. Other institutions should continue to monitor official guidance and consult the IPEDS Help Desk, institutional leadership, and counsel as appropriate.