October 18, 2023

We are back! For those that joined us in Las Vegas last week, we hope you had a great time and enjoyed the many breakout sessions and information shared throughout the week. For any new subscribers, welcome!

The House remains at a standstill, with another round of votes today failing to get the necessary majority for Rep. Jordan to be elected as Speaker, and the Senate is focused on nominations and the Middle East. 

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

Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program Grants

The Department of Education recently announced new awards to 110 institutions eligible for the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The program provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of, Hispanic students. 46 applicants were funded down the FY 22 slate and 64 highest ranked applicants were awarded in the FY 23 competition. Several community colleges are among the list of awardees. You can see the list of colleges awarded and the abstracts to their projects here and here. 

White House Internship Program Opportunity 

The White House recently announced opportunities for students through their Internship Program. The Program is a public service leadership and development program that provides emerging leaders with an opportunity to gain valuable skills while supporting the work of the White House and furthering the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration. This program provides paid internships across the Executive Office of the President. 

Program participants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years or older before the first day of the Program, and either be currently enrolled in or have graduated from an accredited undergraduate or graduate program, including from community colleges. Veterans with a high school diploma or its equivalent, who have served within the two years prior to the start of the program, are also eligible to apply. 

The application period for the Summer 2024 session opened this week and will close on Friday, November 10th. Interested candidates can find the Program’s online application at WH.gov/intern. The website also features additional information about the Program, including a “Frequently Asked Questions” section.

Advocacy Letters

Recently ACCT, alongside AACC and other stakeholder partners reached out to both the Department of Education and House Appropriators to voice our concerns regarding issues that will impact our institutions and students. 

ACCT joined a coalition letter asking the Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid to release the date of when they plan to launch the new FAFSA so that institutions, students, and other organizations can plan ahead and prepare. Additionally, ACCT and AACC sent a joint letter to House Appropriators asking them to restore cuts and programs eliminated from the LHHS Subcommittee bill when it receives a full committee markup. Both letters, along with prior advocacy messages, can be found here. 

New Workforce Training Report

The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (WAI) recently released a new briefing entitled "Advancing Partnerships Between Organized Labor and Community College." The document builds on conversations facilitated by the White House's National Economic Council in Fall 2023 among labor unions and community colleges to prepare for workforce development needs. The document highlights the benefits of partnerships between unions and community colleges and best practices for collaboration between the two in efforts to strengthen the nation's workforce pipeline. 

• Accepting Applications on a Rolling Basis - CHIPS Incentives Program – Facilities for Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Equipment

• July 3 - Prison Education Program (PEP) applications open on a rolling basis

• October 2023 - deadline to apply for Advanced Technological Education
• November 14 - deadline to apply for Strengthening Community College Training Grants
• November 27, 2023 - Department of Energy's Career Skills Training Program
• November 30 - deadline for letters of intent for Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal and Great Lakes States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative

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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