July 24, 2024

Leading the news this week: Tomorrow, the House of Representatives heads home for a month-long recess, while the Senate remains in session until next week.

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

Strengthening Community College Training Grants Round 5 Applications Open

Last week, the Department of Labor announced the fifth round of Strengthening Community College Training Grants. Over $65 million is available to support programs that help community colleges scale affordable, high-quality workforce training. These programs aim to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs in critical industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, semiconductors, and biotechnology.

Grants will be up to $1.75 million for single institutions and up to $5.75 million for consortium applicants. DOL intends to award 70-80% of grant funds to consortium applicants and the remainder to single institutions. 

Applications are due September 24, 2024. For more information, click here.

Regulatory Update

TRIO programs, Distance Education, Title IV funds -The Department of Education (ED) recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking  focusing on Federal TRIO programs, distance education, and return of Title IV funds (R2T4). The proposed changes to the Federal TRIO programs aim to expand eligibility, including students without immigration status enrolled in or seeking admission to U.S. high schools. In distance education, the regulations seek to enhance oversight and accountability by introducing stricter reporting requirements and prohibiting asynchronous instruction in specified programs. Additionally, revisions to the R2T4 regulations aim to simplify calculations for withdrawn students' financial obligations and improve compliance for institutions. Stakeholders have until August 23 to submit public comments on the proposed rules. For more information, click here. 

Third Party Servicers - Last year, we reported on ED releasing updated guidance on the requirements and responsibilities for third-party servicers (TPS) and institutions, which had potentially harmful impacts on our institutions. ACCT  joined dozens of higher education associations in a public comment urging the Department to rescind the updated TPS guidance, resulting in ED delaying its implementation. Recently, ED announced in a blog post that, following careful consideration of all comments, they will conduct negotiated rulemaking to address regulations related to third-party servicers comprehensively. ACCT will continue to update its membership as further details on this rulemaking are released.

New Department of Education Playbook

ED recently unveiled a playbook titled "Using Data Effectively to Drive Equitable Improvements in Postsecondary Student Success." The playbook showcases key data-driven strategies and successful implementation examples from various institutions.

They will also host a webinar on July 30 to share valuable lessons learned. Experts will discuss key tools and resources that institutions can utilize to implement these practices effectively on their campuses. To register for the webinar, click here.

August Recess Outreach Prep

August recess allows federal lawmakers to spend a substantial amount of time in their home states and districts connecting with their constitutes. This presents a window of opportunity for community college leaders to strengthen relationships with their lawmakers.

ACCT encourages our membership to start planning for recess as soon as possible as lawmakers will soon be flooded with invitations. Use this time to think of a speaking engagement, welcome back to school event, or tour you can invite your member or offer your campus to them as a location for an upcoming event they may be hosting. You should also consider how your team can best use the opportunity to advocate for your institution's federal priorities. For more guidance on hosting federal officials in your campus, check out our advocacy toolkits on ACCT Connect. If you have not yet created an account, click here.

• Accepting applications on a rolling basis - SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Cohort 2 Applications
• July 26 - NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance (WFPA) program
• July 29 - Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success
• August 5 - Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
• August 15 - Serving as a Bridge: Community College Skills-Based Hiring Playbook Webinar
• September 12 - CTE Research Grants
• September 24 - Strengthening Community College Training Grants Round 5

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:

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. 

For more community college news from inside the beltway, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or like us Facebook.