May 29, 2025

Leading the News this Week

ACCT has been informing members and staffers of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee of the possible impacts of the reconciliation proposal that they will soon be tasked with evaluating and possibly modifying, some of which are explained in the next section. The next couple of days, through the first weeks of June, will be a critical time to reach out to these Senators and advocate for community colleges and their students. To further amplify these efforts in this slim window of time, we ask you to participate in our action campaign and let your Senators know, with data, the ill effects of this current reconciliation bill. Take action here!

Any questions or requests for support in contacting the Senate should be directed to publicpolicy@acct.org. 

News in Higher Education

Reconciliation Bill: Recap

Over the last several months, ACCT has been tracking the reconciliation process and reviewing the proposed bill as it moves through the House and Senate. As a recap, here are some facts on reconciliation:

• This budgetary measure is a legislative tool that is unlocked when the president's party also has the majority in both chambers of Congress.
• This is not subject to a Senate filibuster and thus can pass with simple majorities in the House and Senate.
• It can only address matters around taxation and mandatory spending (spending for programs that the government is required to pay for until there is legislation passed indicating otherwise, such as Social Security and Medicaid)
• Senate rules indicate that policy measures that do not have a direct budgetary impact do not qualify as provisions to be included in reconciliation.

Thus far, the House has passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as their reconciliation proposal, and now the Senate is set to review it, possibly conduct changes to conform with Senate rules and/or address senators’ priorities, and then send it back to the House for final passage.  

In terms of higher education, these are the education provisions from the current House plan that ACCT supports:  

• The looming Pell Grant shortfall would be resolved
• The inclusion of Workforce Pell  

However, the proposal includes several provisions that ACCT is opposing, given the negative impacts on students and our institutions:

• Introducing a risk-sharing model where institutions would reimburse the federal government for unpaid or forgiven student loans.  
• Changing the definition of full-time enrollment for purposes of Pell eligibility from 12 to 15 credit hours.
• Eliminating Pell eligibility for students enrolled in less than half-time (this would amount to 7.5 credits, which in a traditional 3 credits per course model means that students would have to enroll for three classes (9 credits) to be Pell eligible).

ACCT is particularly concerned with the proposed elimination of Pell funding for students enrolled in less than half-time. While we are seeking institution and state-level data, a current estimate indicates that about 20 percent of community college students would lose Pell funding if this provision is passed into law. Again, we ask you to participate in our action campaign and let your Senators know, with data, the ill effects of this current reconciliation bill. Take action here!

Advocacy Update

Now that the House Education and Workforce Committee no longer has reconciliation on their to-do list, ACCT is reaching out to committee staff and staffers from members' offices to orient their focus on reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). One feature of this reauthorization would be the codification of the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCCTG). The December 2024 draft of the Continuing Resolution, a government funding package, included reauthorization language, which was later removed in the final bill in favor of a slimmer funding package.

For more on ACCT's list of advocacy priorities, please view our Green Sheet.

To further enhance our advocacy efforts, the Government Relations Team invites you to email publicpolicy@acct.org to share how recent developments at the federal level have impacted your students and your campus.

Grant Opportunities

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

• 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.

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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