Enrollment Data to Amplify Advocacy, Health and Human Services Secretary Aims to Fund Head Start, McMahon Wants Loans in Treasury
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May 15, 2025
Leading the News this Week
ACCT needs your help! Two weeks ago, the House Education and Workforce Committee passed its reconciliation bill. It is scheduled to reach the Budget Committee for its markup tomorrow (Friday at 9 AM).
ACCT has authored a section-by-section breakdown of the House's reconciliation proposal as well as a brief summary of the impacts of this reconciliation plan.
Please read the next section on how you can help ACCT expand its advocacy efforts with federal policymakers, and please reach out to your members of Congress and let them know that harmful changes to the Pell Grant Program and risk-sharing found in this bill will be detrimental to community colleges and their students. Take action here!
News in Higher Education
Share Enrollment Data to Amplify Advocacy
ACCT is actively working to share with Members of Congress the dangers of the House Education and Workforce Committee's Reconciliation package. The top two concerns are around risk-sharing and changes to Pell eligibility that would require students to enroll for at least 7.5 credits (half-time) if they wish to qualify for the Pell grant.
We at ACCT are also seeking to explain, with as much clarity as possible, that this bill would negatively harm low-income, Pell-eligible students by forcing them to take 15 instead of 12 credits per semester to receive the maximum Pell Grant award. Students who enroll in less than half-time status would lose access to Pell grants entirely, possibly preventing them from accessing postsecondary education. Given the change from 12 to 15 credit hours for full time enrollment, part-time would mean 7.5 credits. In a traditional 3 credits per course model, students would have to enroll in three classes (9 credits) to achieve Pell eligibility. This would create additional barriers for students who primarily work or are caregivers to obtaining a post-secondary education.
We ask that you obtain and share your institution's enrollment data broken down by credit hour to demonstrate the impact this reconciliation proposal would have on students enrolled less than half-time with your Member of Congress and their staff in addition to urging them to exclude risk-sharing from reconciliation before it gets to the House floor for a vote.
Moreover, ACCT would also appreciate institutional-level data. Our goal is to provide the real numbers behind the narrative that many community college students have responsibilities requiring a part-time student experience. Please reach out to publicpolicy@acct.org with student enrollment data broken down by the number of credits students are enrolled in for this semester and this academic year.
Health and Human Services Secretary Aims to Fund Head Start
In an appropriations subcommittee hearing, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told members of Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services aims to maintain Head Start funding for fiscal year 2026 as part of President Trump's Make America Healthy Again agenda. Secretary Kennedy added that President Trump intends to fund Head Start in exchange this program "needs to be consistent with Administration priorities." This comes after the Trump administration's budget request proposed to eliminate funding from Head Start.
Secretary of Education Deems Treasury a "Natural" Place for Student Loans
Yesterday, in an event hosted by the think tank, the Cato Institute, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, mentioned that the Treasury Department is a natural area for student loans to reside. This is a deviation from President Trump's plan of placing the student loan portfolio in the Small Business Administration. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has ordered the shutdown of the Department of Education, and there are various plans on how to best accomplish this.
Grant Opportunities
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) within the U.S. State Department announces an open competition to administer the FY2025 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program which supports U.S. undergraduate students of limited financial means to study outside the U.S. in order to “broaden the outlook and better prepare such students of demonstrated financial need to assume significant roles in the increasingly global economy” and pursue credit-bearing academic studies or internships. Click here for additional information. The closing date for the application is June 30, 2025.
May 23 - Deadline for ACCT's Leadership Congress Presentation Proposals
- May 28, 2:00PM ET– New Carnegie Classifications: Community College Impacts and Opportunities
- May 31 - Public Diplomacy English Language Program: Grant Application Due
- June 1, - Deadline to submit nominations for negotiators for negotiated rulemaking committee on Student Loan and Affordability
- June 6, 1:00PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- June 17 - Preservation and Access Education and Training Grant closing date
- June 20 - Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) Grant Application Due
- Jul 11, 2025, 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- Aug 1, 2025, 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- Sep 5, 202,5 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- October 22 - 25 - ACCT Leadership Congress
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.
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