This week in Washington, the House was in recess while the Senate was in session to focus on nominations and hearings. The Senate passed an increase to the debt ceiling to avert a fiscal crisis, and the House will return to Washington early next week to vote on the debt ceiling increase as well. Congressional leaders are still negotiating on the budget reconciliation package, and little movement on the bill has occurred publicly this week. In the meantime, here is the most important news from Washington this week:
- Department of Education Announces Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: The Department of Education has announced changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). These changes include: a limited PSLF waiver that allows all payments by student borrowers to count toward PSLF, regardless of loan program or payment plan; automatically providing credit toward PSLF for military service members and federal employees using federal data matches; and reviewing denied PSLF applications for errors and giving borrowers the ability to have their PSLF determinations reconsidered.
- Department of Education Approves Additional ARP-ESSER Funds: The Department of Education has announced that it has approved ARP-ESSER plans for Michigan, Wyoming, Missouri and Arizona. ARP-ESSER funds are used to support schools and students as they reopen for in-person learning, and to help sustain the safe operation of schools.
- Jobs for the Future (JFF) Announces Grant Opportunity: JFF will be awarding $50,000 grants to three organizations across the country that are working to build regional IT career pathways. Workforce development boards, community colleges and other training and education providers, industry associations, intermediaries, and community-based nonprofit organizations may apply for these grants. Organizations across the country are encouraged to apply, especially those in the Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC, metro areas. Applications will be accepted through November 1, 2021, and recipients must complete all grant activities within six months of receiving the award. Please submit any questions regarding the RFP or the application process to Emily Pipes (epipes@jff.org) and notify her of your intent to apply by 5 p.m. PT on October 25, 2021. Click here for more information on how to apply.
- ACTE Joins Over Fifty Education Organizations to Support Internet Access: Fifty-seven education-related organizations sent a letter to congressional leaders on October 7 urging them to continue funding for student devices and broadband access through the budget reconciliation bill. Initial funding for the "Emergency Connectivity Fund" to assist schools was provided in the American Rescue Plan Act earlier this year but is in danger of running out soon.
- Senate Moves Forward on Biden Administration Nominations: Several Department of Education nominations were confirmed this week by the full Senate, including Gwen Graham to be the assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs; Roberto Rodríguez to be the assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development; and Elizabeth Merrill Brown as general counsel. In addition, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Jose Javier Rodriguez to be the assistant secretary for employment and training at the Department of Labor.
- Department of Education Launches Negotiated Rulemaking Session: The Department held its first of three expected discussions on proposed regulatory changes, specifically focused on student aid programs including Public Service Loan Forgiveness. You can read more about the topics discussed in this Inside Higher Ed article.
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