Late last week, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced an amendment to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, S. 1260, that would expand Pell Grants to short-term CTE programs. The amendment was accepted into a broader, bi-partisan package that could be added to the underlying bill, which is a large proposal designed to counter China's economic competitiveness. Unfortunately, a variety of procedural roadblocks delayed consideration of the bill and this package of amendments. Debate is expected to resume when the Senate reconvenes next week.
The amendment was modeled after the JOBS Act, a bi-partisan bill that had been introduced and championed by these Senators over the past few years. It has been one of ACTE's top policy priorities and this is the closest we have been in quite a while to seeing Pell Grants expanded to short-term programs!
For a full review of the components of the amendment, see this article from Community College Daily. Stay tuned for updates and any action needed as the situation evolves!
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