Latest News in Higher Education

Swearing in the 119th Congress

Today marks the first day of the 119th Congress where freshmen members were sworn in and now they are ready to begin the work of pubic service. However, before swearing in took place, the House elected its speaker. While the Democrats supported the nomination of Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) without controversy, Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-4) did face resistance from three members within the Republican Conference, even with the endorsement of President elect Trump. Representative Johnson was able to finally secure the speaker's gavel when two out of the three hold outs changed their votes in his favor.

Nonetheless, with a total of 82 freshmen, 68 new Representatives and 14 new Senators and leadership changes in both chambers as well as a new presidential administration, community college advocacy will be critical. We hope to see many of you next month at our 2025 Community College National Legislative Summit where you can use your voice to advocate for the needs of community colleges and their students and get the most up-to-date insights from our expert speakers.

Stop Gap Measure Falls Short of Reauthorizing WIOA

Late December 20th, Congress was able to send H.R. 10545, the “American Relief Act, 2025" to President Joe Biden's desk, which he signed into law thus averting a government shutdown. This bill extends government funding until March 14,  2025 at FY 2024 levels. While this funding package includes a one-year extension for the Farm Bill and provides disaster relief funding , the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that was found in the initial proposal was omitted along with emergency funding to support schools and colleges following hurricanes Helene and Milton. In addition, President elect Trump's request for suspending the debt ceiling was also excluded from this stopgap measure. Currently, it is unclear where WIOA will stand on the 119th Congress list of priorities. This is will be a pressing question during ACCT's National Legislative Conference where our attendees can ask members of Congress, their staff, and our speakers more on the status of WIOA reauthorization.

DOL Awards $65 million in Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants

In the fifth round of funding, the Department of Labor (DOL) awarded 18 colleges in 14 states with $65 million in Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCCTG) to assist community colleges in scaling "affordable, high-quality workforce training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs in critical industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, semiconductors and biotechnology." Since 2020, the SCCTG has amounted to $265 million investment from the department which allowed 207 colleges in 35 states to address major workforce priorities for employers and workers. Congratulations to JF Drake State Community and Technical College, Foothill - DeAnza Community College District, Merced Community College District, Yosemite Community College District - Columbia College, Trinidad State College, Mott Community College, Macomb Community College, Ozarks Technical Community College, Ocean County College, Lorain County Community College District, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Alvin Community College, Dallas College, Central Virginia Community College, Spokane Community College, and West Virginia Northern Community College.

Innovative Approaches to Expand Non-Credit Learning Webinar

ACCT and guest speakers from the Department of Education will host the Innovative Approaches to Expand Non-Credit Learning Webinar. Register and mark your calendars for January 14, 2025 2:00PM EST where we will engage in a fruitful conversation on how institutions are enhancing student learning through non-credit programs.

Grant Opportunities

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

In 2022, the Institute of International Education released a report providing an overview of international students in community colleges in the United States. Among the numerous findings, this report reveals the top ten countries of origin of international students at community colleges.

• January 4, 2025 - Institutes for Higher Education Faculty and K-12 Educators
• 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 14, 2025 2:00PM EST- Innovative Approaches to Expand Non-Credit Learning Webinar
• 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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