December 5, 2024

Leading the news this week: 

Earlier this week the final House race was called, solidifying the make up of the 119th Congress' freshmen class. Yet, with Congressional elections having just reached a conclusion, we can already expect to see vacancies at the start of the new Congress resulting from potential appointments by President elect Trump. Governors Ron DeSantis (FL) and Mike DeWine (OH) will need to appoint the individuals that would fill the upcoming vacancies left by Senator Marco Rubio (FL) and Vice President elect J.D. Vance (OH). We will also track the results of special elections that will take place to fill the vacant House seats of Representatives Matt Gaetz (FL), Elise Stefanik (NY), and Michael Waltz (FL). These appointments and special elections are set to begin with the start of the 119th Congress. 

Worth noting: while the House Republicans will outnumber the Democrats by five votes, the exit by Representatives Gaetz, Stefanik, and Waltz will cut into their majority, a prospect that is worrisome to Republican leadership as filling these seats may take several months.

When accounting for all new incoming members, the 119th Congress will consist of a total of 82 freshmen, 68 new Representatives and 14 new Senators. With so many new elected officials, leadership changes in both chambers, and a new presidential administration, community college advocacy will be critical, we hope to see many of you next year at our 2025 Community College National Legislative Summit!

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

Reminder: NLS Webinar December 10 at 2PM EST

In an effort to help prepare attendees for the NLS, ACCT staff will host a webinar on Tuesday December 10, 2024, at 2 PM EST. During this webinar, we will provide an update on the current federal lay of the land going into the 119th Congress, share best practices and discuss the timelines your college should use as a guide to ensure you maximize your advocacy on behalf of your college while in DC. You can register for the webinar here.  

Reauthorizing the Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act is Approaching the Finish Line 

In April of this year the House passed H.R. 6655 “A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWAA) along bipartisan lines, which reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). In the same month this bill was sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP).  As of late November, Democrat and Republican staffers from both the House Committee on Education and Workforce (CEW) and HELP unveiled a WIOA reauthorization bill that is now being reviewed by both chambers. Members of Congress are now evaluating the possibility of passing this piece of legislation before the end of the year. 

In anticipation for the long awaited reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), ACCT has released a Fact Sheet to outline key areas in which this piece of legislation impacts community colleges.

Congressional Democrats Push Administration to Forgive Student Loan Debt

Yesterday, Senate and House Democrats sent Secretary Miguel Cardona a letter urging the Department of Education to forgive the loans of student borrowers who were defrauded by for-profit colleges. Specifically, this letter asks the Secretary to immediately process and forgive the loans of those with approved applications per the borrower defense rule as well as forgive the loans of those "who attended institutions with documented histories of predatory practices." The concern is that the Trump administration will not extend student loan forgiveness to student loan borrowers who are still waiting for this relief. Senator Ed Markey (MA) has noted that the first Trump administration "ignored or denied borrowers defense applications for years." Trump's Department of Education achieved a denial rate of 99 percent. It is estimated that there are 400,000 applicants still waiting for relief.   

Meanwhile, on Monday, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC) sent the Department a letter asking Secretary Cardona to withdraw the proposed rule to offer student loan relief to borrowers experiencing hardship calling this action "legally dubious" and subject to litigation. 

The Biden Administration Releases Plan to Train and Recruit STEM Workers

Last week the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy revealed its Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent.  One feature to this plan includes increasing STEM education capacity at community colleges, MSIs, and ERIs to then provide STEM experiences and training opportunities to college students. This plan defines capacity building as "opportunities to address essential administrative, physical, and digital/technology infrastructure needs." This is in addition to other goals which include supporting multi-disciplinary instruction, paid work-based opportunities, and access to mentorship with sector, government, and/or industry leaders.

Grant Opportunities

Please review the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Community College webpage for new grants community colleges are eligible for.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants: The Department of Education has issued a notice of funding opportunity for the GEAR UP program, which encourages eligible entities, such as community colleges to provide support, and maintain a commitment, to eligible students from low-income backgrounds, including students with disabilities to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Under the GEAR UP program, the Department awards grants to two types of entities: (1) States and (2) Partnerships consisting of at least one degree-granting institution of higher education (IHE) and at least one local educational agency (LEA). The closing date for applications is February 3, 2025. Click here and here for additional information. Finally here is additional information for localities that are American territories.

• December 5 3:00-4:15PM EST - Helping Community College Students Build a More Secure Financial Future Webinar
• December 10, 2:00 PM EST - National Legislative Summit Webinar
• December 12, 11:59 PM EST - Save America's Treasures Preservation Grant
• December 13, 5:00 PM EST - Offshore Wind Workforce Readiness Programs Application Deadline
• December 15 11:59PM EST - Southwest Border Resource Protection Program
• December 16 - Ports for the Future Partnerships
• December 19 - Ethiopia Rapid Response Mechanism Grant closing date
• December 20 - National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program Advanced Packaging Research and Development
• January 6, 2025 11:59PM EST - Head Start/ Early Head Start Recipient, Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants
• January 15, 2025 - Accurate Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment Completers List due to ED
• January 16, 2025 - Ports for the Future Partnerships Grant Closing Date
• January 21, 2025 - Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program—Short-Term Projects
• January 22, 2025 - Addressing Systems Challenges through Engineering Teams Grant Closing Date
• February 3, 2025 - Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants Closing Date
• February 9-12, 2025 - National Legislative Summit

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?

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