April 9, 2021 Biden Administration Unveils Fiscal Year 2020 Funding RequestToday, Shalanda Young, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a letter to Congress detailing President Biden’s topline discretionary funding request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The President’s request includes a total of $769 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2022, which is a 16 percent increase over FY 2021 enacted levels. The request also contains a 40 percent funding increase for Department of Education programs and a 14 percent funding increase for Department of Labor programs. Notable higher education-related provisions included in the President’s funding request are as follows:
The Biden Administration is expected to release a more detailed FY2022 budget request within the next few months. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Civil Rights Provides Update on Title IXEarlier this week, ED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to students, educators, and other stakeholders outlining the steps they are taking to carry out President Biden’s recent Executive Order on Title IX. According to the letter, OCR is planning to hold a public hearing on Title IX soon, in which students, educators and others will be able to participate by offering oral comments and written submissions. Additionally, OCR plans to release a FAQ document aimed at providing clarity about the enforcement of existing Title IX regulations. For more information and the full letter, click here. Reminder: Funding Opportunity for Community Colleges and Rural InstitutionsThe Department of Education (ED) announced the availability of Supplemental Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (SAIHE) program funds for colleges with unmet needs related to the coronavirus. The SAIHE program was authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CCRSAA) which was signed into law late last year. ED welcomes applications for grants from institutions such as community colleges and institutions of higher education (IHEs) located in rural settings that serve a high percentage of low-income students and have experienced significant enrollment declines. The deadline to apply for funding under this announcement is April 28, 2021. For more information click 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. |