October 1,  2026

Leading the News this Week

The Senate voted Wednesday, September 30 to confirm Keith Sonderling as the Secretary of Labor. Sonderling has served as acting secretary since April 2026, when the former Secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, resigned. The vote fell along party lines with all present Republicans voting in favor, and all present Democrats voting against Sonderling's confirmation. View 

Read on for more top federal news affecting community colleges.

News in Higher Education

TOMORROW, Friday October 2nd, 1-2pm Eastern: Join ACCT Government Relations Staff for the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) Live!

We look forward to sharing updates and hearing from you about how federal actions are affecting your community college campus.

**Register HERE for this month's ACCT LAW Live federal update webinar.** 

Child Care Grants Went Out to Colleges, and the List is… Short

In late September, Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant awardees were notified that their applications were successful. As such, these colleges and universities can use CCAMPIS funding to provide parenting students with child care services on-campus or through a subsidy at a local child care provider.

The Department of Education (ED) originally said that it expected to issue 148 awards, yet only 40 colleges are CCAMPIS recipients for the 2026 cycle. This year, the Trump administration opted to “front-load” grants, meaning that recipients are awarded the totality of the four years of funding at once, instead of standard practice in which grantees receive a batch of funding each year until the grant expires. As a result, many high-quality, high-scoring applicants did not have the opportunity to win funds. This year, community colleges earned 60 percent of the new grant awards, a significant increase from previous years. 

Click here for New America’s piece on this year’s CCAMPIS grant.

Departments of Education and Treasury Announced the Launch of the Defaulted Loans Support Center

In March of 2020, student loan repayments were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic; repayment restarted in Fall 2023. As of May 5^th, the Trump Administration began notifying borrowers who had defaulted on their loans since March of 2020. On September 30^th, the Departments of Education (ED) and Treasury (Treasury) announced the launch of the Defaulted Loans Support Center, which aims to do the following:

• Provide individual federal student loan borrowers with defaulted loans a simpler and more streamlined way to understand their options.
• Allow borrowers to apply online to rehabilitate, consolidate, discharge, or dispute their defaulted loans

Institutions with a Cohort Default Rate (CDR) that exceeds 30% for three consecutive years or with a CDR of 40% in a single year risk losing access to the Federal Student Aid Program – which could mean losing access to the Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, and federal student loan programs.

The ED and Treasury find the Support Center to be an important milestone in the Treasury-ED Federal Student Assistance Partnership, which was announced back in March to facilitate the return of defaulted loans to repayment. A fact sheet for this partnership can be found here.

This Fall: Invite Your Members of Congress to Campus!

ACCT's Toolkit to Host Congressional Visits

During this year’s long congressional state work periods in September and October, congressional lawmakers return to their home states and districts to engage with their constituents and to pitch the many accomplishments they have made throughout the congressional session. Community college leaders have an optimal opportunity to establish, strengthen, or renew relationships with the lawmakers that represent their campuses and advocate for community college legislative priorities.

Take a look at ACCT’s new Toolkit on How to Host Your Member of Congress, which offers strategies to strengthen relationships with congressional lawmakers. On ACCT Now, read the blog, Community College Advocacy Continues All Year Round: Invite Your Member of Congress to Meet Back Home!

Remember -- you can use this time to:

• Invite your Member of Congress to visit your community college.
• Meet your Member of Congress at the congressional district office.
• Attend a congressional town hall, parade, BBQ, or other event that features your Member of Congress.
• Host a nonpartisan candidate forum, town hall, or tour with your Member of Congress or candidates seeking election for that congressional seat. If you invite a candidate that is not yet in office, you must invite all candidates for that seat and provide equal time, without endorsement.
• Invite your Member of Congress to speak at a program graduation or annual commencement.

Please contact the ACCT Government Relations team with information and pictures of your visit: publicpolicy@acct.org. We would like to uplift your member of Congress’s engagement with your community college to inspire others.

Grant Opportunities

Please view this ACCT Now Blog:  Don’t Miss These Grant Opportunities for Community Colleges This Fall!

Please view ACCT's new resource highlighting top competitive grant opportunities for community colleges. These below are the top highlights:

National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting proposals for its National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program. The goal of this grant is to advance solutions to advance community tree resource utilization, which can reduce waste and create value by turning wood generated from pruning, removals, storm events, and pest or disease outbreaks into useful products. These products may include lumber, slabs, furniture, flooring, biochar, or other materials that strengthen local economies, reduce disposal costs, and improve community resilience. USDA anticipates about 5 awards ranging from $200,000 to $750,000 over three years or less, with the opportunity to extend funding for up to two additional years. All applicants must demonstrate a 1:1 match of federal funds to non-federal funds, which may be in the form of cash, services, or in-kind contributions. The application deadline is Monday, October 12, 2026.  Learn more and apply here.

Bureau of Land Management Youth Conservation Corps

The Department of Interior (DOI) is accepting proposals for its Bureau of Land Management Youth Conservation Corps. The Headquarters Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices have collaborated with Qualified Youth Corps, as authorized by the Public Lands Corps Act (PLC), to accomplish natural and cultural resource-focused projects for numerous years. This program’s projects provide opportunities to gain work experience in public lands and natural resources management. DOI anticipates about 8 awards ranging from $30,000 to $220,000 over three years or less. Cost sharing is required; applicants must demonstrate a 25 percent. The application deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026.  Learn more and apply here.

NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs

The National Science Foundation is accepting proposals for State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs, which will connect researchers and students to AI computing resources and build a skilled AI workforce. NSF anticipates about 10 awards ranging from $4 million to $12 million over five years, with only one award per state or multi-state region. Hubs are structured as consortia of institutions of higher education, including community colleges, working with industry, philanthropy, and state and local governments, and must address workforce development, faculty training, and regional partnerships alongside infrastructure. The full proposal deadline is Wednesday, November 4, 2026.  Learn more and apply here.

• October 2, 1-2 PM ET -  ACCT LAW Live
• October 12 - National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program
• October 16 - Bureau of Land Management Youth Conservation Corps
• October 21-24 -  ACCT Leadership Congress
• November 4, 11:59 PM ET - NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs
• November 6, 1-2 PM ET -  ACCT LAW Live 
• December 4, 1-2 PM ET- -  ACCT LAW Live

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:

Would you Like a Federal Update Session for Your Team?

Both this new presidential administration and new Congress have brought with them a flurry of developments in the federal landscape that can make keeping up a monumental task. ACCT's Government Relations team is here to help by offering a 45-minute to an-hour federal update session to community college leadership teams who are ACCT members. To request a session, fill out this form and please email publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.

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) Alert network. To join, simply register here. 

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