February 19, 2026

Leading the News this Week

ACCT was thrilled to have so many community college leaders, students, and stakeholders in DC for the National Legislative Summit (NLS) last week. These advocates met with their lawmakers to advocate for institutional strength and offer robust student supports. Please fill out this Congressional Contact Form to help inform ACCT's advocacy efforts and continue the conversations you had with congressional staff in DC. Also, remember to follow up with the offices you visited. Here is a guide and sample email you can send to congressional offices.  Read on to the next section on the latest news updates out of DC.

News in Higher Education

The 6th Cycle of  the Strengthening Community College Training Grant Is Now Open 

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced $65 million is now available for the 6th round of the Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG) competition. In this round, the objective of  SCCTG 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." 

During Dr. Henry Mack's, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor, keynote speech at NLS, he mentioned the possibility of applying $65 million from FY25 funding and possibly up to an additional $65 million from FY26 funding during this grant cycle. 

The closing date for this grant opportunity is May 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

The Trump Administration's Latest Actions Towards DEI

Last month, the Trump administration announced it would drop its legal appeal of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Dear Colleague Letter sent out in February 2025, which had said institutions of primary, secondary, and postsecondary education would be at risk of losing federal funding should they be found participating in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming and practices. The ED memo is not in effect.

Separately, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld two of President Trump's separate executive orders, which were previously under a preliminary injunction.

The orders, Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing and Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, collectively mandate that federal departments and agencies "terminate discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements" and the terms of every federal contract or grant must require the recipient to agree that it is in compliance with all aspects of Federal anti-discrimination laws and to certify it does not run DEI programming.

Moreover, the Trump administration's General Services Administration (GSA) issued a notice and request for comments on a proposed revision to certifications that almost all recipients of federal funding must submit to the federal government.

The public comment period closes on March 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

LAW Live Returns - Friday, March 6, 1-2 PM ET

After a hiatus, the ACCT Government Relations Team's Federal Update Webinar, Latest Action in Washington (LAW) Live, will return Friday, March 6, 1-2pm ET.

Right now, members of Congress are asking their constituents which programs and projects to fund in the annual spending process for fiscal year 2027 (FY27). This is a critical time for the community college community to make our voices heard and advocate for critical programs supporting student success and workforce development. 

At the March First Friday Federal Update Webinar, we will go inside the federal funding process in Congress and share the critical steps to take to advocate for community college funding. Click here to register. 

Grant Opportunities

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

Strengthening Community College Training Grants

In this 6th round, the objective of  the Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG) competitionis 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.

• March 2 Public comment period closes for proposed rule from Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) committee.
• March 6, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• March 30, 11:59 PM ET Public comment period closes for the proposed revision on certifications that recipients of federal funding must submit.
• April 3, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• May 1, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• 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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