$400 million available for community colleges. Will your college join tomorrow's grants webinar?
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May 28, 2026
Leading the News this Week
ACCT has long advocated for increasing the maximum Pell Grant to help students struggling with the rise of inflation impacting higher education costs. Inside Higher Ed covered ACCT's advocacy to increase the maximum grant by at least $200 to meet one-year inflation this year. Despite a difficult fiscal environment, “the critical thing is to preserve and protect Pell Grant funding and not lose sight of the importance of increasing it so students can pay for the cost of living,” said Jonathan Elkin, ACCT director of government relations. The Pell Grant has garnered consistent bipartisan support and is critical for low-income students to attend and complete their postsecondary education experience.
Read on for more news this week.
HAPPENING TOMORROW: Friday, May 29, 2pm E.T. - Grants Webinar for Community Colleges
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) just released a batch of new grant opportunities totaling more than $400 million with updated focus areas due June 23rd, a very short application window. To help community college leaders prepare, apply, and win, the ACCT Government Relations Team invites you to join us for a special grants webinar with former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education Amanda Fuchs Miller, President of Seventh Street Strategies, and an expert in higher education grant programs.
Amanda will share an overview of the grant competitions and strategies for community colleges. Community college trustees and leaders overseeing federal grant applications are encouraged to attend.
News In Higher Education
Accreditation Regulations: Negotiators Reach Consensus
The U.S. Department of Education’s Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on May 21, 2026. These proposed new changes to higher education accreditation policies. These changes would make it easier for new accreditors to become recognized and for colleges and universities to switch accreditors.
The proposal would also stop schools from using preferential treatment in hiring or promotions based on protected characteristics. In addition, accreditors would be required to review student outcomes compared to the cost of attending a school. Colleges would also need to accept transfer credits or provide students with a written explanation for why credits were denied.
The proposal also calls for intellectual diversity on campuses and would require schools to have systems in place to evaluate faculty performance.
Additional information and updates on the proposal can be found here and here.
The Future of Workforce Pell
The U.S. Department of Education estimates that Workforce Pell could help more than 100,000 students during the program’s early years, with participation expected to grow over time to nearly 200,000 per year. Workforce Pell would allow low-income students to use Pell Grants for short-term workforce training programs that meet federal completion and job placement requirements.
The Department also projects that thousands of existing certificate programs could become eligible under the policy, while additional programs may be created to meet future demand. Although experts believe the program could expand access to career training opportunities, many expect implementation to begin slowly as states and institutions work through approval processes and federal guidelines.
ED Webinars on One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The Department of Education will host webinars and office hour sessions to provide information and assistance on new higher education law going into effect this year. These will each be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:
- Wednesday, June 3 - Loan Repayment Plans and Other Loan Changes
- Wednesday, June 20 - Loan Limits and Reductions
- Wednesday, June 24 - Workforce Pell: Program Eligibility, Awarding, and Accountability
- Wednesday, July 8 - STATS and Earnings Accountability: Reporting, Metric Calculation, and Appeals
The Department will hold participation on a first-come, first-serve basis for 10,000 attendees per session. No registration is required. All webinars are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. E.T.
There will also be individual hour-long sessions to serve as office hours:
Recordings of both the webinar and virtual office hours will be available through the FSA Training Center.
Letters and Bills
ACCT sends letters to key Members of Congress and the Administration, and endorses key bills to advance community college priorities.
Farm Bill Community College Grant Program - ACCT and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) wrote a letter urging the Senate Agriculture Committee to include a new grant program for community college agriculture workforce training programs. The U.S. House-passed Farm Bill included a similar program, based on the bipartisan Community College Agriculture Advancement Act, led by Reps. Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Carbajal (D-CA) and Sens. Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Fischer (R-NE).
Workforce Funding Requests - ACCT joined a community letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee by the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce (CIAW), a coalition dedicated to strengthening our economy through robust federal investment in the nation’s workforce. With the shared goal of advocating for workforce and apprenticeship programs authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), ACCT and CIAW aim to secure funding for the FY27 Labor-HHS-Education Legislative Budget.
For a comprehensive list of letters, please visit the Letters to Congress and the Administration section on acct.org
Grant Opportunities
Please review the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Community College webpage for other grants community colleges are eligible for. These below are the top highlights:
Strengthening Institutions Program
The Office of Postsecondary Education opened the FY 2026 Strengthening Institutions Program competition to help eligible institutions improve academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability for institutions with a large share of low-income students and low expenditures per student. To be eligible, institutions must have completed the eligibility application by April 23. The final eligibility list will be released in "late May." The SIP competition itself will provide nearly $366 million, providing an estimated 600 grants of $3-$5 million for five years each. Congress enacted $102,070,000 for SIP in FY26.
The Department of Education (ED) deems that Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) programs are unconstitutional. ED appears to be using a one-time congressional flexibility to move funds from MSI programs to SIP, although it is currently unclear how much funding will be drawn from each MSI program.
ACCT strongly encourages all eligible community colleges -- including MSIs-- to apply for SIP
This year, applicants may earn up to five points from one of these competitive preference priorities:
- Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness,
- Developing high-quality short-term programs that meet Workforce Pell Grant requirements, or
- Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education.
Applicants may also earn 0 or 10 points for serving a rural population.
The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Postsecondary Education released released $10 million for the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program competition. ED expects to make 10 awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million to support programs that address students’ basic needs and improve postsecondary success outcomes. This year's competitive preference provides 0 or 10 points to state agencies or Native American tribes. Thus, community colleges may wish to partner with these entities to increase their chances of winning funds. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program
The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $45 million is available for the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program. The purpose of this grant is to "improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region." The Department of Education expects to make 300 awards through this initiative. Entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official to implement the project can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program
The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $9 million is available for the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program. The aim of this grant is to encourage institutions of higher education to develop model programs to support veteran student success. The Department of Education expects to make 4 awards through this initiative. Projects that promote workforce development programs, offer career and college advising, and/or provide opportunities for students to use financial tools to compare the costs and benefits of career opportunities can earn up to 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program
The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $5 million are available for the FY 2026 Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program competition. The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative, which supports programs helping gang-involved youth transition into higher education opportunities. Applicants can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority: "Projects or proposals that will be carried out by entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal." The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Open Textbook Pilot Program
The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $7 million is available for the Open Textbook Pilot Program. The goal of this program is to support recipients with projects that "create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks and course materials in courses that are part of a degree-granting program, particularly those with high enrollments. This pilot program emphasizes the development of projects that demonstrate the greatest potential to achieve the highest level of savings for students through sustainable, expanded use of open textbooks in high-enrollment courses or in programs that prepare individuals for in-demand fields." The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative. Projects carried out by state higher education agencies can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority, and proposals that advance artificial intelligence can earn up to 10 points. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released this year’s competition for Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS). This year, ED expects to make 148 awards between $150,000 to $1,000,000 for four-year grants to colleges with at least $250,000 in Pell Grant funding to support child care for parenting low-income students. Here is an FAQ from ED. The deadline to apply is May 29, 2026.
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
New federal grant opportunities have opened for institutions serving migrant and underserved student populations. The Department of Education has opened competitions for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), both of which provide academic and support services to migrant and seasonal farmworker students pursuing postsecondary education. The deadline to submit an application for HEP and CAMP is June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot grant opportunity
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a grant aimed at strengthening workforce development and artificial intelligence training initiatives. Higher education advocates note these programs could provide important funding opportunities for community colleges seeking to expand student support services and workforce training programs. The deadline to submit an application is July 10, 2026, 4:59 PM ET via the EDGE submission portal.
- May 29, 2 PM ET - Grants Webinar with Amanda Fuchs Miller
- May 29, 11:59 PM ET - Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Grant Closes
- June 1, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 3, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: Loan Repayment Plans and Other Loan Changes
- June 5, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 5, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- June 8, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 12, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 12, 11:59 PM ET HEP Grant Application Closes
- June 12, 11:59 PM ET CAMP Grant Application Closes
- June 16, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 18, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 20, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: Loan Limits and Reductions
- June 22, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 23, 11:59 PM ET
- Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP)
- Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
- Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program
- Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program
- Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program
- Open Textbook Pilot Program
- June 24, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: Workforce Pell: Program Eligibility, Awarding, and Accountability
- June 26, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- June 30, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- July 8, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: STATS and Earnings Accountability: Reporting, Metric Calculation, and Appeals
- July 2, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- July 6, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- July 10, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
- July 10, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- July 10, 4:59 PM ET AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program Application Closes
- August 7, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- September 4, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- October 2, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- October 21-24 ACCT Leadership Congress
- November 6, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
- December 4, 1-2 PM ET 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.
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