Christmas at the Capitol? No images? Click here December 7, 2022 Congressional Leaders are running full steam ahead with only 9 days left before the expiration of the Continuing Resolution currently funding the federal government. They remain without a deal on a topline funding number, and it seems more likely they will need to pass an extension to give them more time to negotiate. How late these negotiations will go into December is yet to be seen, but we are not ruling out a possible Christmas at the Capitol. Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education. Update on Student Loan ReliefThis past fall, the Department of Education briefly opened an application for one-time student debt relief, which had over 26 million borrowers apply. However, due to ongoing litigation surrounding one-time student loan debt relief, the Department was forced to shut down the application as well as halt plans to discharge any debt. The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear oral arguments for one of the court cases this upcoming February, with a decision expected by June. With millions of borrowers unsure of how much they owe and unable to properly plan to begin repayment, the Department announced they will extend the repayment pause, which was set to expire this month. The repayment pause will now extend until 60 days after litigation over the student loan debt relief program is resolved or if the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that. For additional information on the one-time student loan debt relief, click here. 2023 Community College Legislative SummitOur National Legislative Summit (NLS) is the premier community college advocacy event in Washington, DC, bringing together more than 1,000 community college leaders. The event shines a spotlight on the importance of our nation’s community colleges for Congress and the Administration. Participants will hear from members of U.S. Congress, administration officials, leading political analysts, and other high-profile speakers about the current climate in D.C., recent elections, and legislative issues impacting community colleges. Our early registration deadline is only 7 days away, be sure to register before the deadline to save $150. As we prepare for next year's NLS, join ACCT and AACC staff to hear about ways attendees can be proactive and prepare to be effective advocates for community colleges while they're in Washington, DC. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, December 13 at 3:00 pm EST. Register for the webinar here.
Outreach EffortsIs 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. For more community college news from inside the beltway, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or like us Facebook. |