September 14, 2022

The Senate and House are both back in session this week! Congress is working overtime to keep the government funded beyond the September 30^th deadline, and we will be making the rounds and speaking with appropriators to remind them of key education priorities for community colleges. Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education.

Round 2 Awards for the Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCCTG)

Last week, the Department of Labor announced the 13 awardees for the second round of SCCTG. SCCTG aims to build the capacity of community colleges to address identified equity gaps and meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways, leading to high-quality jobs.

Among the awardees, 7 were consortium awardees ( 3 are state-focused, 3 are regional labor market-focused, and 1 is affinity-focused) and 6 were single institutions. The project summaries can be found here. The awards ranged from $1.5 million to $6.5 million and spread across 12 states: Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

As a reminder, the third round of SCCTG funding is currently accepting applications until October 25, 2022. The Department has released the FAQ for round three as well as the Prospective Applicant Webinar.

Secretary Cardona and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Hit The Road!

This Monday, Secretary Cardona, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff kicked off the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour. The week-long, multi-state road trip will showcase the many ways school communities are helping students recover and thrive – putting them on the road to success. We will be tracking the tour as the trio makes their way through TN, NC, VA, WV, PA and NJ and highlight any community college visits on our twitter account.

ICYMI: Basic Needs Grant Webinar

Last week, ACCT and the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University held a pre-application webinar on the Fiscal Year 2022 Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program ("Basic Needs Grant").

The webinar discussed the basics of the grant competition, allowable activities, Department of Education priorities, and the components of a successful grant application. Participants learned about promising practices in providing systemic support for student basic needs that can be listed in the grant application, such as referring students to public benefits, co-locating services in basic needs hubs, and surveying students.

We have posted the webinar recording and slide decks here for your convenience.

October 3 - deadline to apply for the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
October 11 - deadline to apply for College Completion Fund for Postsecondary Student Success
October 25 - deadline to apply for third round of funding for SCCTG

Outreach Efforts

Is you 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:

A Three-Step Guide to Rural Community College-Workforce Partnerships

How Community Colleges Are Supporting Students Through Rising Costs

CHIPS and Science Act: What’s In It For Community Colleges, and What Items Were Left Out

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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