May 3, 2023

Leading the news this week: Debt-limit negotiations have taken on an increased sense of urgency following a letter from Treasury Secretary  Yellen to congressional leaders stating that the government could default on its $31.4 trillion debt as early as June 1 (the "X" date).

Many projected the "X" date to be sometime in June or even July, this news has ramped up pressure on debt-limit negotiations. President Biden has invited the “Big Four” leaders to the White House on May 9th to discuss the debt-limit.

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

HEERF Deadline

Last year, the Department of Education issued an automatic blanket extension for the HEERF funds spending deadline to June 30, 2023. Currently, only 6% of the $76 billion provided through HEERF funds remain unspent. 

The Department stated that this time around extensions will be issued on a case-by-case basis for either 6 months for institutions planning on disbursing student grants or 12 months for institutional grants. Colleges with remaining HEERF funds must submit a request for an extension by June 20, 2023, and are being encouraged to apply sooner if possible. However, the extension request form has not yet been released. ACCT will continue to monitor the situation and share the link to the form once it becomes available. 

NEW Modeling and Simulation Program Grant

The Department of Education issued a notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 2023 for the Modeling and Simulation Program (MSP). 

The MSP is designed to promote the study of modeling and simulation at institutions of higher education through collaboration with new and existing programs, and specifically to promote the use of technology through the creation of accurate models that can simulate processes or recreate real life. The deadline to apply for the grant is June 23, 2023. 

Join the Department's Pre-Application Technical Assistance Webinar on any of the below dates for additional information on the grant:

-  Thursday, May 4 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST

- Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 12:00 PM EST – 1:30 PM EST

- Thursday, June 8, 2023, 12:00 PM EST – 1:30 PM EST

To join the meetings click here. To learn more about the grant program, click here. To apply, click here. 

Increasing Enrollment & Success for Men of Color

Community colleges across the U.S. have experienced significant enrollment declines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These declines were particularly concerning for men of color. For instance, community college enrollments for Black and Native American men dropped by 26% and 24%, respectively. Many colleges have struggled to return enrollments and retention to their pre-pandemic levels.

Learn effective strategies to bolster success rates for men of color from Dr. Frank Harris III, Dr. J. Luke Wood, and Dr. Marissa Vasquez at the "Increasing Enrollment & Success for College Men of Color" webinar. The webinar takes place Thursday, May 4 at 10 AM (PT)/ 1 PM (ET), click here to register. 

Coalition Letter

Last month, ACCT joined a coalition letter to Congressional Appropriators asking for increases to the Labor-Health and Human Services- Education  appropriations bill allocations. The letter outlined the effects that chronic underfunding have had on programs that support education, public health, health research, job training, and social services

To read the full letter, click here. 

• May 1 - pre-applications open on a rolling basis for CHIPS Incentives Program – Commercial Fabrication Facilities

• May 16 - deadline to apply for Open Textbooks Pilot Program 

• May 15 - deadline to submit public comment for Title IX NPRM

• May 22 - deadline to apply for Strengthening Institutions Program

• May 25 - deadline for DOE Industrial Assessment Centers concept papers

• May 30 - deadline to apply for MSEI

• May 30 - deadline to apply for AANAPISI Institutions Program

• June 20 - deadline to apply for Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program

• June 20 - deadline to apply for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH) Program

• June 23 - deadline to apply for Modeling and Simulation Program 

• July 7 - deadline to apply for Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant

• July 31 - deadline to apply for DOE Industrial Assessment Centers program

• October 2023 - deadline to apple for Advanced Technological Education

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. 

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:

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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