June 8, 2026

Leading the News this Week

New ACCT Resource: Open Community College Grants

With many grants open for competition, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education Amanda Fuchs Miller created a guide for ACCT members to view the details for top grant opportunities at a glance. Click here to view Amanda's guide. Key upcoming deadlines are June 12, June 23, and June 29.

Read on for the latest news coming out of the federal government, and read on to the Grants Section for a list of grants currently open for competition.

News in Higher Education

Time-Sensitive: ACT NOW for Community College Funding

On Friday, June 5, the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies passed its spending bill for FY27. Today, the committee released its detailed report. 

Tomorrow, June 9, the full Appropriations Committee will vote on amendments and the bill. The bill includes both good news and bad news for community colleges. 

Their funding proposal includes the following positive news:

• Pell Grants: An increase of $50 to the maximum grant, for a total of $7,445 
• Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG): A $10 million increase for a total of $75 million in funding
• TRIO: a $6 million increase for a total of $1.2 billion 
• Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP): a $6 million increase for a total of $394 million 
• Career and Technical Education (CTE): an increase of $8 million for a total of $1.5 billion.
• Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS): $75 million (level funding)

While ACCT considers these proposals a victory for community colleges, we are still concerned over the following:

• Elimination of Adult Basic Education (ABE) funding
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG): $364 million decrease 
• Federal Work Study (FWS): $322 million decrease 

• Eliminate Subsidized Student Loans for 440,000 Community College Students (4 million total students). Without subsidized loans, students will need to use more costly unsubsidized or private loans, costing thousands of dollars more over the loan term. Approximately 11% of subsidized loans go to community college students.

It is critical that you reach out to your U.S. House Representatives to both thank them for their support of Pell Grants and other programs that receive an increase, and to also share that ABE, SEOG, and FWS are vital for community colleges to perform the work of being engines of workforce development across the country and have a great impact on student success and affordability.

***TAKE ACTION NOW! CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE EMAIL TO SEND TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS. Please email publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.

Key Resources for FY27 Funding:

• New ACCT Resource: view the impact of these key federal programs by community college, district, and state here.
• House Labor-HHS-ED FY27 Bill Text, Detailed Report, Subcommittee Markup, Full Committee Markup Tuesday June 9, 11 a.m. Eastern
• Majority (Republican) Press Release and Summary
• Minority (Democratic) Press Release , Summary , and Fact Sheet
• Additional ACCT FY27 Resources on Appropriations

Enrollment Trends Show Increases for Community Colleges

The Final Spring 2026 Enrollment Trends report released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center revealed an overall 1.3 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment amounting to 15.5 million students.  Within this population, community colleges saw enrollment gains of 3.1 percent, whereas their public four-year counterparts had an increase of 1.5 percent in undergraduate enrollment. When looking at enrollment trends for the community college sector, Spring 2026 shows that community colleges have finally caught up to the enrollment levels from 2020. 

With full-time enrollment trends,  community colleges have shown a steady increase since 2022, and a consistent increase in part-time student enrollment since 2023. In terms of program type, enrollment in undergraduate certificates, mainly offered by community colleges, increased by 86,000, a 10.2 percent increase. In light of demographic shifts spelling out a decrease in 18-year-olds, community colleges show potential for resiliency by offering certificate programs and displaying themselves as an attractive option to both older students and high school dual enrollment students. 

FAFSA Sees More Submissions in Comparison to Last Year

According to the National College Attainment Network's (NCAN) Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) tracker, at this point, 57.2 percent of high school seniors completed a FAFSA form; this is a 10.2 percent increase from FAFSA submissions at this time last year. Due to the FAFSA Simplification Act, it now takes an average of 15 to 30 minutes to fill out the form; prior to that, it took one to two hours.

Editorial Note: In the previous edition of LAW, it was reported that the U.S. House considered the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026 last week. Since votes in the House chamber were canceled on June 4th, this bill has been rescheduled for House floor consideration Tuesday, June 9th.

Grant Opportunities

Please review the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education's Community College webpage for other grants community colleges are eligible for. These below are the top highlights:

Strengthening Institutions Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education opened the FY 2026 Strengthening Institutions Program competition to help eligible institutions improve academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability for institutions with a large share of low-income students and low expenditures per student. To be eligible, institutions must have completed the eligibility application by April 23. The SIP competition itself will provide nearly $366 million, providing an estimated 600 grants of $3-$5 million for five years each. Congress enacted $102,070,000 for SIP in FY26. 

The Department of Education (ED) deems that Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) programs are unconstitutional. ED appears to be using a one-time congressional flexibility to move funds from MSI programs to SIP, although it is currently unclear how much funding will be drawn from each MSI program.

ACCT strongly encourages all eligible community colleges -- including MSIs-- to apply for SIP 

This year, applicants may earn up to five points from one of these competitive preference priorities:

1. Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness,
2. Developing high-quality short-term programs that meet Workforce Pell Grant requirements, or
3. Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education.

Applicants may also earn 0 or 10 points for serving a rural population.

The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. 

Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Postsecondary Education released released $10 million for the Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program competition. ED expects to make 10 awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million to support programs that address students’ basic needs and improve postsecondary success outcomes. This year's competitive preference provides 0 or 10 points to state agencies or Native American tribes. Thus, community colleges may wish to partner with these entities to increase their chances of winning funds. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. 

Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $45 million is available for the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program. The purpose of this grant is to "improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region." The Department of Education expects to make 300 awards through this initiative. Entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official to implement the project can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $9 million is available for the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program. The aim of this grant is to encourage institutions of higher education to develop model programs to support veteran student success. The Department of Education expects to make 4 awards through this initiative. Projects that promote workforce development programs, offer career and college advising, and/or provide opportunities for students to use financial tools to compare the costs and benefits of career opportunities can earn up to 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program 

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $5 million are available for the FY 2026 Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program competition. The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative, which supports programs helping gang-involved youth transition into higher education opportunities.  Applicants can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority: "Projects or proposals that will be carried out by entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal." The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Open Textbook Pilot Program

The Office of Postsecondary Education announced $7 million is available for the Open Textbook Pilot Program. The goal of this program is to support recipients with projects that "create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks and course materials in courses that are part of a degree-granting program, particularly those with high enrollments. This pilot program emphasizes the development of projects that demonstrate the greatest potential to achieve the highest level of savings for students through sustainable, expanded use of open textbooks in high-enrollment courses or in programs that prepare individuals for in-demand fields." The Department of Education expects to make four awards through this initiative.  Projects carried out by state higher education agencies can earn 0 or 10 points for this year's competitive preference priority, and proposals that advance artificial intelligence can earn up to 10 points. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

New federal grant opportunities have opened for institutions serving migrant and underserved student populations. The Department of Education has opened competitions for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), both of which provide academic and support services to migrant and seasonal farmworker students pursuing postsecondary education. The deadline to submit an application for HEP and CAMP is June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

Postsecondary Student Success Grants (PSSG)

PSSG provides a total of $45 million this year in grants to evidence-based strategies to increase student persistence and college completion. Community colleges have won many of the grants in the first several rounds of the competition. Learn more here. The deadline is June 29, 2026.

AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Grant Opportunity

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a grant aimed at strengthening workforce development and artificial intelligence training initiatives. Higher education advocates note these programs could provide important funding opportunities for community colleges seeking to expand student support services and workforce training programs. The deadline to submit an application is July 10, 2026, 4:59 PM ET via the EDGE submission portal. 

• June 12, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• June 12, 11:59 PM ET HEP Grant Application Closes
• June 12, 11:59 PM ET CAMP Grant Application Closes
• June 16, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• June 18, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• June 20, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: Loan Limits and Reductions
• June 22, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• June 23, 11:59 PM ET 
  • Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP)
  • Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program
  • Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program
  • Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) Program
  • Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education (TGIY) Program
  • Open Textbook Pilot Program
• June 24, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: Workforce Pell: Program Eligibility, Awarding, and Accountability
• June 26, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• June 30, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• July 8, 11 AM to 12:30 PM ET - ED Webinar: STATS and Earnings Accountability: Reporting, Metric Calculation, and Appeals
• July 2, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• July 6, 2026, 3–4 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• July 10, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET - ED Office Hours
• July 10, 1-2 PM ET LAW Live
• July 10, 4:59 PM ET AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program Application Closes
• 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.

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