March 9, 2023

Leading the news this week: President Biden's FY2024 Budget is officially out and it includes key priorities for community colleges. With Congress in session until Friday, we expect our federal electeds will have much to mull over and we will be closely watching reactions from both chambers. 

Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education!

President Biden Unveils FY 2024 Budget

Earlier today, President Biden released his FY 2024 Budget, which outlines federal spending levels the Administration would like to see enacted by Congress. 

The budget requests $90 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Education — a $10.8 billion or 13.6-percent increase from FY2023 enacted levels. Of note: $500 million in a new discretionary grant program would go towards expanding  free community college across the Nation through a new Federal-State partnership. These funds would provide two-years of free community college for students enrolled in high-quality programs that lead to a four-year degree or a good-paying job. A $429 million increase in funding for increases in institutional capacity at HBCUs, TCCUs, MSIs, and under-resourced institutions, including community colleges. It also outlines funds to increase the discretionary maximum Pell Grant by $500 with the end goal of doubling the Pell Grant by 2029.

As for the Department of Labor, the budget requests $15.1 billion in discretionary budget authority  — a $1.5 billion or 11-percent increase from FY2023 enacted level. This includes  $100 million, a $35 million increase above FY2023 enacted level, to enhance community colleges’ capacity to work with the public workforce development system and deliver high-quality training programs. It also calls for $335 million, a $50 million increase above FY2023 enacted level, to expand Registered Apprenticeship opportunities. 

For a deeper dive into the higher education components in the President's Budget, we encourage our members to  join the Department of Education's Budget Briefing livestream TODAY at 3:00 pm ET. To join the livestream click here. 

NEW Opportunity to Submit Written Congressional Testimony

The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee will hold a public witness hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2023, and it is accepting written testimonies for inclusion in the hearing record from stakeholders. These written testimonies provide a venue for institutions to provide tangible examples of how federal funding is allowing community colleges to better serve students and explain how these investments help transform our communities and national workforce.

ACCT encourages our members to participate in this process as a way to strengthen their relationship with their representatives, as well as help advocate for community college funding at a grassroots level. The official guidelines for the testimonies can be found here, and are due March 23. 

2023 Call for Presentations

ACCT 2023 Leadership Congress is officially accepting presentation proposals for this year's conference. Proposals are due Monday, May 15, all guidelines and submission requirements can be found here. If you have any question please email congress@acct.org.  

• March 8 & 9 - virtual listening session regarding third-party servicers and bundled services, register here. 

• March 14 - deadline to submit public comments regarding third-party servicers and bundled services

• March 23 - deadline to provide written testimony to Labor-HHS-Ed subcommittee

• March 24 - deadline to submit public comments on the Direct Grant Programs, State-Administered Formula Grant Programs

• March 24 - deadline for Request for Information Regarding First Amendment and Free Inquiry Related Grant Conditions

• October 2023 - deadline to apple for Advanced Technological Education

Outreach Efforts

Is your institution meeting or hosting an event with federal elected officials?

We created a Congressional Contact Form that will help us track outreach efforts of community college leaders across our membership. By filling out the form, you are better informing ACCT's advocacy efforts and our advocacy team is able to continue those conversations with congressional staff in DC. 

We also put together an outreach toolkit and an advocacy guide to share best practices for meeting with elected officials and set your team up for success.

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. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW:

Have a Question?

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. For more information about ACCT's advocacy services, visit acct.org/advocacy

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.

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