This week, the main focus in Congress was on efforts to pass a foreign aid supplemental spending bill. While those discussions were occurring, the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee continued with their budget hearings, welcoming testimony from Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. Meanwhile, the Department of Education continued to work on the challenges presented with the new FAFSA as well as other projects.
- The Federal Student Aid office at the Department of Education Announces Corrections Availability on FAFSA: The Department of Education made student corrections broadly available for FAFSA applicants last week, now processing almost 100,000 corrections. To make corrections to a FAFSA form, visit StudentAid.gov.
- Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su Testifies before House Appropriations Committee: Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, testified before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on Wednesday. She addressed concerns with the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request, including some concerns for the new regulations and funding for registered apprenticeships.
- House holds hearing on WEP and GPO: The House Subcommittee on Social Security held a hearing on the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, debating effective ways to reform the system and ensure equity in social security support provided to public service workers. This directly impacts teachers who began their teaching careers after working in the private sector in some states. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.
- ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Senators to Support Funding for Perkins CTE in FY 2025: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), longtime CTE advocate, is currently circulating an important “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter requests robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.
- Skills-based Hiring for Contractors Advances in the House: The House Oversight and Accountability Committee advanced legislation to remove degree requirements for many federal contract employees, expanding the federal government’s recent shift toward skills-based hiring to include federal contractors as well.
- Department of Education Added new Trainings and Design to Registered Apprenticeship Academy: The Registered Apprenticeship Academy now has new training modules and has been redesigned for user-friendly accessibility.
- First Lady Visits North Carolina to Discuss the State’s Dual Enrollment Model: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited North Carolina this week to discuss innovative learning programs, like dual enrollment, to build partnerships and pathways between academics and careers.
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases First Set of Draft Rules to Provide Debt Relief: The Biden-Harris Administration released a set of draft rules to propose student debt relief.
- Department of Education Releases Final Title IX Rules: On April 19, the Department released a final revised rule under Title IX, related to how educational institutions receiving federal aid must ensure they are prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. More details on this new rule will be coming soon.
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