May 19, 2025

Leading the News this Week

ACCT is urging you to take action! The House is getting within reach of passing the reconciliation bill, which puts us closer to the enactment of dangerous policies for our community colleges. ACCT has authored a section-by-section breakdown of the House's reconciliation proposal as well as a brief summary of the impacts of this reconciliation plan. Reach out to your Congressional delegation and let them know that harmful changes to the Pell Grant Program and risk-sharing found in this bill will be detrimental to community colleges and their students. Take action here!

News in Higher Education

Updates on House Reconciliation Bill

Late Sunday night, Republicans on the House Budget Committee voted to pass the reconciliation package after a handful of Republican holdouts delayed passage during Friday's markup. The next step is for the Rules Committee to consider the reconciliation bill, where amendments are expected and the ground rules for debate are established. If and when it is passed by the Rules Committee, the full House will debate the bill on the floor, and then it will be subject to a full member vote.

If the full House passes the bill, officially named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, then it will be the Senate's turn to consider legislation for the reconciliation process. Based on the reactions of some Senators to the House bill, we anticipate that changes will be made and will keep the membership updated on when it is best to engage specifically with the Senate about amendments to the House bill.

The Senate Passed a Resolution Designating April as Community College Month

Last Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution to designate April as Community College Month, introduced by Senators Ed Markey (MA) and Susan Collins (ME). ACCT appreciates this recognition and sign of support for community colleges.

ICYMI: Student Loan Cohort Default Rates (CDR) & Community Colleges Webinar

Last week, ACCT's Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie Warick-Smith, invited Judith Witherspoon, Senior Vice President of Edamerica, to discuss how the return to student loan collections could affect community colleges, what a cohort default rate is, how it’s calculated, and what colleges can do to support their student borrowers. A recording of this webinar is available on-demand on ACCT Connect.

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 23 - Deadline for ACCT's Leadership Congress Presentation Proposals 

• May 28, 2:00PM ET– New Carnegie Classifications: Community College Impacts and Opportunities
• 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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