March 19, 2021 ED Releases New HEERF GuidanceThis morning, the Department of Education (ED) released new guidance regarding the use of funds received under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant program. The guidance states that institutions are permitted to use HEERF funds received through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) to cover costs incurred on or after March 13, 2020. This is a change from ED’s initial guidance, which only allowed funds to be applied to costs incurred on or after December 27, 2020. The guidance also contains resources to help institutions calculate and charge “lost revenue” to their HEERF awards, as well as a new FAQ on HEERF student eligibility. The new guidance applies to all HEERF grant funds, including unspent CARES Act funds, CRRSAA funds and American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. For the full guidance, click here. House of Representatives Passes H.R. 6 – The Dream and Promise ActLast night, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6 – The Dream and Promise Act, by a bipartisan 228 - 197 vote. The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and Dreamers – undocumented individuals brought to the US as children – provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. The measure will now be sent to the Senate for consideration. Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) President and CEO J. Noah Brown offered the following statement in response to the House’s approval of the bill. “The mission of community colleges is to provide affordable, high-quality higher education for all people, regardless of their backgrounds or statuses. We have long supported Dreamers in their efforts to pursue and attain higher education, which we believe to be a natural right for all human beings. The United States is a nation of indigenous peoples, immigrants, and their descendants, and ACCT supports efforts to provide a pathway to citizenship and better lives for all people who seek to realize their own unique American dreams, including higher education. ACCT now calls on the Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act.” ACCT Posts Fact Sheet on American Rescue PlanACCT recently released a fact sheet outlining higher education-related provisions included in the American Rescue Plan (ARP)—which was signed into law on March 11th. You can find the fact sheet here. ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Spread the word. Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) E-Alert network. To join, simply e-mail publicpolicy@acct.org with 'LAW Alert' in the subject of the e-mail. For more community college news from inside the beltway, follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/CCTrustees) or like us Facebook (facebook.com/CCTrustees). Have questions? Contact us with any questions or concerns about public policy and ACCT's advocacy on behalf of two-year colleges and two-year college trustees. ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts are sent to interested ACCT members to keep you up to date on important legislative activities that impact community colleges. If you no longer wish to receive ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. |