November 3, 2022

LAW alerts are back and we have much to catch you up on! The last week has been packed with regulatory action as the Department of Education raced to the meet the November 1st regulatory publishing deadline for rules to take effect on July 1, 2023. With midterm elections looming we recently published a NOW article with a case study on what the 118th Congress may hold legislatively. Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education.

New Rules Released on Second Chance Pell and PSLF

Last week, the Department of Education released a final rule that will implement access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students in high-quality prison education programs. The Department has also announced that incarcerated individuals are eligible for FSA's "Fresh Start" initiative, which will help borrowers with defaulted loans access low monthly payments based on their income and allow them to access Pell Grants to help them resume their educational journey.

These new rules will go into effect on July 1, 2023. To read the published rule, click here. Read the Department's press release here. 

Yesterday, the Department of Education released a final rule that will amend the regulations governing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) in the Direct Loan program to improve the application process, and to clarify and expand definitions for full-time employment, qualifying employers, and qualifying monthly payments. The changes aim to bring greater transparency and clarity to the administration of Federal student financial aid programs.

These new rules will go into effect on July 1, 2023. To read the published rule, click here. Read the Department's fact sheet here. 

FY 22 CCAMPIS Awards

The Department of Education recently released the 302 awardees for the FY 22 Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS). 

CCAMPIS supports 4-year grants to institutions of higher education to increase the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education, through the provision of campus-based childcare services. Funds are used to support or establish campus-based childcare programs primarily serving the needs of low-income students enrolled in such institutions.

For the full list of recipients, click here. 

Improving Educational Outcomes for Men of Color Report

Last week, ACCT's Center for Policy and Practice hosted an Improving Educational Outcomes for Men of Color Symposium. 

The symposium explored the underlying factors driving the significant decline in enrollment of men of color in community colleges. As part of the symposium, we released the report "Increasing The Enrollment, Retention, And Success Of Men Of Color In Community Colleges: A Framework For Policy And Institutional Responsibility " authored by  Dr. Frank Harris III and Dr. J. Luke Wood of San Diego State University Community College Equity Assessment Lab, which presented a set of policy and institutional recommendations. 

Read the full report here.

If you would like to learn more about the work Dr. Frank Harris III and Dr. J. Luke Wood are doing, register for their free virtual series begins on "Racelighting People of Color in Schools, Colleges and Universities." The series focuses on race-based gaslighting (racelighting) and begins November 3, 2022 at 2:00 pm EST.  There will be two additional LIVE sessions on November 10 and 17. If you cannot attend live, you can register and receive the modules and recordings. 

To register, click here. 

NEW Federal Grant Opportunities 

The Department of Education (Department) issued a notice inviting applications for the Lead of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network under the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Grant Program. The IES research grant programs are designed to provide reliable and valid information about education practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to education opportunities for all learners. The CTE Network will conduct research on CTE through projects funded by other IES grant competition

The deadline to apply is February 23, 2023. To learn more, click here. 

The Department of Education (Department) issued a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice and Special Education Research and Development (R&D) Center Grant Programs. Through NCSER, IES invests in Special Education Research and Development Centers (R&D Centers) that contribute to the body of special education knowledge in the United States by engaging in research, development, evaluation, and national leadership activities aimed at improving the education system and, ultimately, student achievement. Through this program, NCSER seeks to establish a new R&D Center on Supporting Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education.

The deadline to apply is January 12, 2023. To learn more, click here. 

Feature Spotlight:

The Seldin Haring-Smith Foundation's (SHSF) Public Transit Maps project assessed public transit accessibility at community colleges across the country. Through their research they found that 57% of community college main campuses are transit accessible, but an additional 25% could be made accessible through extending existing bus lines. SHSF is producing interactive maps of each state, and we will be featuring these maps as they are made available.

The eighth  interactive map is Connecticut. SHSF found that 93% of Connecticut's community and technical colleges have a transit stop within walking distance. 6% of campuses are less than five miles from an existing transit line, which shows a window of opportunity to increase accessibility by connecting just one more college to an existing transit lines.  To delve deeper into Connecticut's accessibility click here​​​​​​​. To view the interactive map click here. 

• January 12 - deadline to apply for Special Education Research and Development (R&D) Center Grant
• February 23 - deadline to apply Lead of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network

Outreach Efforts

Is you 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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