Take Action on Community College Month and Community College Funding, Department of Education Faces Lawsuits Over IES Downsizing, Bill Preventing DEI in Accreditation Standards
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April 17, 2025
Leading the News this Week
April is Community College Month! This is a time to reach out and remind your federal elected officials about the importance of community colleges in your communities. Take action by asking them to join the Congressional Community College Caucus and to cosponsor the Congressional Resolution recognizing the significance of “Community College Month,” which identifies April as Community College Month. Also, please check out ACCT's Community College Month toolkit to help you advocate for community colleges all month long!
News in Higher Education
Take Action on Community College Funding
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have begun working on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. The House and the Senate Appropriations Chairs have released guidance for Members of Congress to submit their funding priorities to the committee. This first step is crucial in ensuring that both community colleges' earmark requests and robust funding for key federal programs make it into the final bill. Members of Congress will have separate deadlines for requests from constituents to review and finalize their priorities. Request forms should be found on their official website.
Meanwhile, ACCT sent both Senate and House Appropriations leaders our FY 26 Appropriations programmatic priorities to advocate for federal programs that support our institutions and students. It is imperative that each community college stakeholder communicates the critical need to fund the various programs that directly affect community colleges. Visit ACCT's Action Center to let your member of Congress know the importance of funding programs that support students and institutions. Continue to our Advocacy Update below for more information.
Department of Education Faces Lawsuits Over the Downsizing of the Institute of Education Sciences
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the research arm of the Department of Education (ED), which is responsible for collecting and housing national primary, secondary, and postsecondary education data and statistics. Last month's reduction in force (RIF) shrunk IES' staff by 90 percent. IES was also impacted by the termination of dozens of contracts, resulting in a loss of nearly $900 million for grantees.
Now there are two separate lawsuits against ED. The first was filed by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) and the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), who allege that ED's activities violate Congressional authority, as it was the body that created IES through legal statute and appropriates spending for IES.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) filed the second lawsuit this week to challenge ED's IES staff downsizing and grant cancellations. Specifically, they argue that ED's actions are in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, the Education Sciences Reform Act, and numerous appropriations acts. They ask for the reinstatement of canceled contracts and terminated staff.
Bill Preventing DEI in Accreditation Standards
The Trump Administration has suggested that President Trump will sign an executive order that would impact college accreditation. While there is uncertainty as to what this potential order would contain, the prediction is that it will include anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language and facilitate access for new accreditors wishing to enter the accreditation market while lowering obstacles for institutions that wish to change their accrediting body.
Meanwhile, Congressman Burgess Owens (UT), chair of the House subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, has introduced the Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2025 that would prevent accreditors from having DEI standards in the accreditation process while also protecting religious institutions' religious missions and practices.
Lawmakers Back in Their Districts
For the next week and a half, Congress will be out of session, which means that lawmakers are working in their districts. This provides an opportunity to invite your Member of Congress to events hosted by your community college or set up meetings at their district office. Members of Congress seek opportunities to learn the latest updates impacting their communities and constituents. If you meet with your lawmaker while they are in town or host them for an event at your institution, please fill out ACCT's Congressional Contact Form to help us best support your advocacy efforts.
Advocacy Update
With the 119th Congress underway, ACCT has sent numerous letters advocating to members of Congress and the Administration on the importance of community colleges and workforce development.
This week ACCT Government Relations Team is featuring two letters sent to the Senate and House Appropriations and Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee leadership, Chair Senator Susan Collins (ME), Subcommittee Chair Senator Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Vice Chair Senator Patty Murray (WA), Subcommittee Ranking Member Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI), Chair Tom Cole (OK-04), Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (AL-04), and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), outlining the funding priorities for the community college sector for fiscal year 2026.
These letters urge appropriations leaders to support the Pell Grant Program, Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCCTG), the Higher Education Act Strengthening Institutions Program (Title III-A), workforce development, TRIO, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP), Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS), and other vital programs that facilitate favorable outcomes for community colleges and their students.
Take action by visiting ACCT's Action Center and reaching out to your member of Congress.
To further enhance our advocacy efforts, the Government Relations Team invites you to email publicpolicy@acct.org to share how recent developments at the federal level have impacted your students and your campus.
- April 29 - Public comment for the Department of Education's Rulemaking Process (In-Person Hearing)
- April 29, 11:59PM ET - Head Start/Early Head Start Grant Application Due
May 1 - Public comment for the Department of Education's Rulemaking Process (Virtual Hearing)
May 2, 1:00PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
May 23 - Deadline for ACCT's Leadership Congress Presentation Proposals
- June 6, 1:00PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- 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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