June 20, 2024

Leading the news this week: The House is in recess this week, while the Senate wraps up work today before an upcoming week-long recess. We have just 19 legislative days left until Congress leaves for its month-long August recess.

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

CBO Publishes Latest Pell Grant Estimates

In recent months, experts had warned of a potential shortfall in Pell Grant funding due to recent increases in the maximum Pell award, updates to student aid calculations that were predicted to extend Pell Grants to more students, and projected increases in student enrollment.

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released reassuring projections regarding Pell Grant funding. According to the CBO's estimates, funding is projected to be sufficient for the program through FY 2029, assuming Congress maintains existing funding levels. While the news alleviates previous concerns about a shortfall in FY 2026, it's important to note that a main contributing factor to these projections is the CBO's expectation of a decrease in Pell Grant recipients to 5.9 million by 2024. This decrease is in large part attributed in part to challenges associated with the rollout of the Better FAFSA. 

To review the new Pell Grant estimates, click here. 

Pathways to Support: Preparing for the Basic Needs Grant Webinar

Join ACCT and the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University (The Hope Center) as we equip institutions to leverage the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program. This federal grant opportunity aims to strengthen support services for students in higher education institutions, addressing basic needs insecurities and bolstering student success on campuses.

During the webinar, we'll delve into the essentials of the grant competition, allowable activities, Department of Education priorities, and the key components of a successful grant application. We’ll review promising practices for providing systemic support for student basic needs, such as facilitating access to public benefits, establishing basic needs hubs, and conducting student surveys to inform interventions. We will also welcome a guest speaker from the Department of Education to share insights with us.

The webinar will take place Wednesday, June 26 at 2:00 pm ET, click here to register.

Senate WIOA Reauthorization Hearing

Last Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) committee held a full committee hearing entitled "The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Supporting Efforts to Meet the Needs of Youth, Workers, and Employers."

Members across the aisle emphasized the critical need to reauthorize and expand WIOA to enhance workforce upskilling efforts. During the hearing, Senator Kaine (VA) highlighted the growing demand to broaden Pell Grant eligibility to include short-term programs. He also announced that the HELP committee plans to schedule a markup for the JOBS Act before August. This underscores the 118th Congress' continued momentum in advancing short-term Pell legislation, which has seen notable interest over the last two years.

While the text of the Senate WIOA reauthorization bill has not yet been released, we expected it will be shared soon and will keep you updated.  

To watch the hearing, click below. 

• Accepting applications on a rolling basis - SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Cohort 2 Applications
• July 29 - Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success
• August 5 - Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
• September 12 - CTE Research Grants

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. 

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.

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Spread the Word.

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