October 19, 2022

Leading the news this week: Friday night, the Department of Education released a beta version of the one-time student loan debt relief application. When the full application officially launched on Monday, 8 million borrowers had already applied for relief!

A quick publishing note: we will be taking a break from LAW Alerts next week as we’ll be in New York City for ACCT’s Leadership Congress. We hope to see many of you there! Now let's dive into the latest news in higher education.

College Banking and Credit Card Agreements Report

Last week, the Department of Education along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)  released a report on terms and fees associated with  debit cards issued to students, which can be used to access Title IV aid.

The report raised concerns regarding whether certain marketing deals between colleges and financial institutions comply with Department of Education regulations. The report also found that many institutions do not appear to be meeting their responsibilities to adequately disclose information about these arrangements, may be directing students to more costly products, or may not be conducting adequate due diligence reviews to ensure that accounts offered are in the best financial interest of students. 

The Department has subsequently released a Homeroom blog to remind institutions of their regulatory obligations in overseeing arrangements with financial institutions. In addition, over the coming months, the Department has announced plans to improve the reporting process for institutions regarding banking partnerships and will begin reviewing contracts as part of the program review process. The Bureau also released a press release regarding the report.

LOAN Act Fact Sheet

This September, Subcommittee Chair Frederica Wilson (FL-24) introduced the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. The bill seeks to double the Pell Grant award amount, adjust the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and reduce interest rates for student loans. It is largely seen as a messaging bill to outline  democrats' higher education priorities ahead of the general election. 

To learn more about how this bill would impact community colleges read our detailed fact sheet on the bill. 

Coalition Letter on Food Insecurity 

Yesterday,  ACCT, along with a coalition of state and national organizations, sent a letter to the Departments of Education and Agriculture  regarding food insecurity in higher education.  The letter urges the Biden-Harris Administration  to improve access to SNAP for college students and work to reduce and eliminate student food insecurity.

To read the full letter, click here. 

Final Reminder: SCCTG Grant 

As a reminder, the third round of SCCTG funding is currently accepting applications . SCCTG aims to  build the capacity of community colleges to address identified equity gaps and meet the skill development needs of employers in in-demand industries and career pathways, leading to high-quality jobs. 

The Department has released the FAQ for round three as well as the Prospective Applicant Webinar.  The deadline to apply is next week October 25, 2022.

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 sixth interactive map is Rhode Island. SHSF found that 100% of Wisconsin's community and technical colleges have a transit stop within walking distance. The state has also invested in bus passes and improved schedules and routes for students. To delve deeper into Rhode Island's accessibility click here. To view the interactive map click here. 

• October 25 - deadline to apply for third round of funding for SCCTG 

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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