December 12, 2024

Leading the news this week: 

Representatives Burgess Owens (UT) and Tim Walberg (MI) are making their closing arguments as to why they would be the best fit for Chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee during the upcoming 119th Congress. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, Owens is using his leadership experience and his push for innovation as reasons he should hold the gavel; while Walberg is leveraging his seniority and his sixteen year tenure on the committee as evidence of his commitment to the work of the committee. Their Republican colleagues will make the final decision as to who will lead this committee by the end of today

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

The FAFSA Deadline Act is Now LAW

Yesterday President Biden officially signed the FAFSA Deadline Act into law. Now the Department of Education is required to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by October 1st and obligates the Secretary of Education to testify before Congress if there is anticipation by September 1st that the form would not be ready by the October 1st deadline. We at ACCT are glad to see a bill that we supported making it across the finish line and become law.

Reauthorizing the Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act is Seeing Delays in the Senate

As of late last month, Democrat and Republican staffers from both the House Committee on Education and Workforce (CEW) and HELP unveiled a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization bill. While there is the hope this bill would land on the president's desk, currently there are several senate hold outs, among them is Senator Bob Casey (PA) who is advocating for additional pay for disabled workers in the text of the bill. In the meantime, ACCT has released a Fact Sheet to outline key areas in which this piece of legislation impacts community colleges. We will continue monitoring the negotiations and advocating for passage of the bill before the end of this Congress. 

The Trump Transition is Moving Both Fast and Slow

President-elect Trump's pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is already preparing for a future Senate confirmation hearing by courting Senate Republicans to persuade them of her fitness for the role. For perspective, President Biden announced his nomination of Dr. Miguel Cardona as Secretary of Education on December 22, 2020. While the speed at which Trump is building his cabinet is impressive, his transition team has yet to meet, coordinate, and engage with the agency review process with policy advisers at the federal agencies. As a result, in comparison to previous presidential transitions, Trump is about a month behind. 

Grant Opportunities

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

Academy of Women Entrepreneurs 2025: U.S. Embassy in Namibia is inviting organizations to apply to run the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program. This program is designed to help women entrepreneurs in Namibia grow their businesses, overcome challenges, and create a network of women-led businesses. It will include both in-person and online sessions with women entrepreneurs from Namibia and the U.S. The goals of the program are to improve business planning, help participants build a network, and provide the skills needed to create successful businesses. Click here for additional information. The closing date for this opportunity is January 4, 2025.

American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Expansion, Early Head Start Expansion, and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants: The Department of Health and Human Services announced a competitive grant to expand access to high-quality, comprehensive early learning services for newly-enrolled, income-eligible American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) pregnant women, and children from birth to compulsory school age through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, or through the expansion of Early Head Start services. Applications may come from Native American tribal organizations; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); as well as public entities such community colleges. Click here for additional information. The closing date for this opportunity is January 21, 2025 11:59PM EST.

Institutes for Higher Education Faculty and K-12 Educators: The National Endowment for the Humanities is seeking applications for their Institutes for Higher Education Faculty and Institutes for K-12 Educators programs. Institutes are residential, virtual, and combined format convene higher education faculty or K-12 educators from across the nation to enrich their understanding of topics in the humanities and deepen their capacity for scholarship and teaching. Click here for additional information. The closing date for this opportunity is February 12, 2025.

Less than 5 percent of the 119th Congress holds an associate's degree. Out of those members that do, all but one, Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK), were conferred other degrees. 

• 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 4, 2025 - Academy of Women Entrepreneurs 2025
• 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 21, 2025 11:59 PM EST - American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Expansion, Early Head Start Expansion, and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants
• 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 12, 2025 - Institutes for Higher Education Faculty and K-12 Educators
• 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?

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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