April 16, 2026

Leading the News this Week

TOMORROW, Friday April 17 is the deadline for Senators to sign on to support critical funding for community colleges!

Read on to learn how to support these critical programs.

News in Higher Education

DEADLINES TOMORROW! Email Your Two U.S. Senators to Support Pell Grants and Key Funding for Community Colleges!

Your advocacy is a powerful tool! Contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to support vital programs such as the Pell Grant, Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCCTG), Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), and Adult Basic Education (ABE).

**Click here to email your two U.S. Senators**

KEY DEADLINES FOR SENATORS TO SIGN-ON

Friday, April 17:

• Pell Grants — Bipartisan letter by Senators Roger Marshall (KS) and Tim Kaine (VA) to fund the Pell Grant program with enough funding to continue its mission.
• Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) - Bipartisan letter with Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL).
• Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCCTG) — Bipartisan letter by Senators Roger Marshall (KS) and Raphael Warnock (GA) to support funding for SCCTG
• Adult Basic Education — Bipartisan letter by Senators Todd Young (IN) and Jack Reed (RI) to increase funding of the Adult Basic Education program to $810 million.

Monday, April 20:

• Pell Grants — FY 2027 letter by Senators Mazie Hirono (HI) and Jack Reed (RI) to increase funding for Pell without making cuts to Pell eligibility.

For more background, view ACCT's FY27 Appropriations Resources

Here are useful tools to further assist in the appropriations process. 

• ACCT's FY 2027 Earmarks and Funding Request Tutorial and Slides (Member Restricted)
• ACCT's FY 2025 Earmarks Webinar and Slides (Member Restricted)

Ask your Representative and Senator to Join the Community College Month Resolution!

Deadline Monday, April 20: Ask your Representatives and Senators to Join the Bipartisan Community College Month Resolution and Join the Community College Caucus!

**Click here for a sample email to your House members and Senators.**

In addition to the Departments of Education and Labor, we have seen states all over the country celebrate Community College Month. Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Nevada, and Ohio have all proclaimed April as community college month, and the list is only growing.

This is a time to reach out and remind your elected officials why community colleges matter, how your college is serving your community's needs today, and why public support for our colleges is more important than ever, thus meriting the 2026 #CCMonth theme "The Smartest First Step, the Strongest Next Step." Check out ACCT's Community College Month toolkit to help you uplift community colleges all month long! If any members of Congress visit your community college or celebrate Community College Month, please email publicpolicy@acct.org, and we can help uplift the event.

ED Unveils FAFSA Real-Time Fraud Detection Capability

The Department of Education (ED) announced that it is implementing new measures to prevent fraud on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. 

Starting April 26, 2026,  ED will incorporate a real-time identity fraud detection capability within the FAFSA form, which will automatically screen and assess risk when filers are done filling out the form. In practice, a portion of filers will be asked to complete additional steps to verify their identity as they are filing out the form. Rejected forms will be categorized using a variety of different codes that classify the form as "moderate risk" or "high risk." Filers with rejected FAFSAs will have to verify their identity with their institution's financial aid office.

ED is responding to concerns with "ghost students" enrolling in courses to collect financial aid funds without completing the class. As open-access institutions, community colleges have long been targeted for this type of fraud. 

Grant Opportunities

Please review the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Community College webpage for other grants community colleges are eligible for. These below are the top highlights:

TRIO Talent Search Program Grant

Institutions of higher education, such as community colleges, non-profits, and – with new emphasis in the FY26 funding cycle, state governments -- leverage the Talent Search Program to assist K-12 students from a disadvantaged background pursue and succeed in postsecondary education and job training opportunities. New this year: state agency applicants can earn 5 competitive preference points and larger awards. The program also focuses more this year on workforce development. The closing date for this grant competition is May 1, 20226 11:59 PM ET.

TRIO Education Opportunity Centers Program (EOC)

DOL, on behalf of the Department of Education, announced the grant competition for the TRIO Education Opportunity Centers (EOC) program. This program provides counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. The EOC program also guides participants on financial aid options, including basic financial planning skills, and assists in the application process. New this year: state agency applicants can earn 5 competitive preference points and larger awards. The program also focuses more this year on workforce development. The closing date for this grant opportunity is May 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Strengthening Community College Training Grants

In this 6th round, the objective of  the Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG) competition is to fund community colleges aiming to build "program and system capacity for implementing and scaling access to short-term training opportunities through Workforce Pell Grants—i.e., promoting industry-driven strategies, worker mobility, and integration with the larger state workforce system (e.g., Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners) for statewide impact." The closing date for this grant opportunity is May 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

• April 28, 1 PM ET Webinar: Preparing for Workforce Pell - What Community College Leaders Need to Know Now
• May 1, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• May 1, 11:59 PM ET TRIO Talent Search Program Grant Closes
• May 14, 11:59 PM ET TRIO Education Opportunity Centers Program Grant Closes
• May 20, 11:59 PM ET. Strengthening Community College Training Grant Closes
• June 5, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• July 10, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• August 7, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• September 4, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• October 2, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live 
• October 21-24 ACCT Leadership Congress
• November 6, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live 
• December 4, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live

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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