October 12, 2022

As borrowers prepare for the one-time student loan relief application to become available this month, the White House is previewing the application to help prepare borrowers. We have also shared an informative chart to help students navigate eligibility requirements. Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education.

Statement on the Importance of Clear, Fair Transcript Withholding Policies

Today, ACCT put out a joint statement along with other higher education association regarding the importance of clear, fair transcript withholding policies. A recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report identified practices of institutions withholding transcripts from current and former students as a top concern, and determined that blanket policies to withhold transcripts in connection with an extension of credit are abusive under the Consumer Financial Protection Act.

To read the full statement and learn more on how to ensure your institution is abiding by the Consumer Financial Protection Act, click here.

Resources for Communities Following Natural Disaster

If your community has been recently impacted by a natural disaster, ACCT urges you to become familiar with resources that may be available to you. The Department of Education has put together a comprehensive list of resources for institutions offered from a variety of federal agencies to help communities rebuild and reopen.

To learn more, click here.

Feature Spotlight:

The Seldin Haring-Smith Foundation's (SHSF) Public Transit Maps project assessed public transit accessibility at community colleges across the country. Through their research they found that 57% of community college main campuses are transit accessible, but an additional 25% could be made accessible through extending existing bus lines. SHSF is producing interactive maps of each state, and we will be featuring these maps as they are made available.

The sixth interactive map is Wisconsin. SHSF found that 39% of Wisconsin's community and technical colleges have a transit stop within walking distance. 16% of campuses are less than five miles from an existing transit line, which shows a window of opportunity to increase accessibility by connecting to existing transit lines. To delve deeper into Wisconsin's accessibility click here. To view the interactive map click here.

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:

Digital Equity: Supporting Digital Inclusion Efforts for Learners

Why Community College Bachelor’s Degrees? Similarities and Differences Across Urban and Rural Settings

Collaborating on Mental Health Practices at Rural Community Colleges

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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