This week, Congress was in session working to finish work on key issues ahead of the final days of the calendar year. There has been little progress on many of the “must pass” bills, including the FY 2024 funding bills. As things stand, funding is set to expire on January 19 for four of the 12 appropriations bills and on February 2 for the remaining eight, including the Labor, Health and Humans Services, and Education bill. More news and notes below:
- Short-Term Pell Proposal Unveiled by House of Representatives: Earlier this week Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) along with Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) introduced R. 6586, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, a bill that would allow Pell Grant funding for short-term postsecondary degree programs with the goal of aligning education opportunities with workforce needs. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.
- House Releases Draft WIOA Reauthorization Bill: On Dec. 7, the House Education and the Workforce Committee introduced R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act. The bill would reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). We are currently reviewing the comprehensive legislation and will have more information soon!
- Department of Education Announces Education Innovation and Research Funding to Help Address Academic Recovery: ED has announced $277 million in funding aimed at addressing academic recovery and educational equity and innovation through the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant program. The grant awards will be dispersed into the following sections: $90.3 million for STEM, $87.2 million for social emotional well-being, including student engagement and $76.5 for projects in rural areas.
- Department of Education Announces Additional Student Loan Debt Relief: ED has announced the approval of almost $5 billion in student loan debt relief for more than 80,000 student borrowers, bringing the total approved debt cancelation of the Biden-Harris Administration to over $130 billion for approximately 3.6 million Americans. This new round of debt cancellation comes from fixes made to ED’s income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness system and its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, so could impact some educators
- Department of Education Announces Funding to Support Research and Development, Postsecondary Completion for Underserved Students: ED has announced over $90 million in grant awards for more than 20 colleges and universities, including some community and technical colleges, to support research and development at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). These new grants are focused on improving postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation and overall completion.
- National Skills Coalition (NSC) “Launches Expanding College and Career Possibilities: A Policy Action Initiative”: Close ACTE partner, NSC, has launched a new initiative that will gather skills advocates across 20 states with the goal of creating resources, supports and policy solutions for increasing college affordability, holistic supports, and completion of quality non-degree credentials that offer pathways to quality careers and further education. The initiative staff will do this by engaging in peer learning, policy action labs and tailored technical assistance, research and promotion.
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