Legislative Activity FY 2016 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education Appropriations In the coming weeks, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education plans to release its FY 2016 appropriations bill to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. When the draft bill is released, it will mark the first time the subcommittee has … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity College Affordability Initiatives After failing last week to secure enough votes to proceed to floor consideration of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) student loan reform legislation, the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act (S. 2432), Democratic Senators committed to continuing to raise the issue – eyeing a week in September to refocus on … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Education Leadership Last week, Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) announced he will resign from Congress on February 18. Rep. Andrews is second in seniority to House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA), who is retiring at the end of the year. Shortly after the announcement, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) made … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget Deal In a budget deal reached last week, conferees raised approximately $5 billion in savings from two provisions affecting federal student loan programs: The agreement would require guaranty agencies to lower the amount that they charge borrowers, from 18.5 percent to 16 percent, for rehabilitating defaulted loans in the Federal Family Education … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Fiscal Year 2014 Funding Budget conferees appear close to a deal that could set spending allocations for each appropriations bill over the next two years. This deal may set the stage for an omnibus appropriations bill instead of a year-long Continuing Resolution (CR), which would unlikely include the Labor-HHS-Education bill. House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Legislation to Help Homeless Students Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) plan to introduce legislation that will assist homeless students that are looking for financial aid to attend college. In the bill, colleges would be required to develop a plan to assist homeless and foster youth during academic … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Student Privacy Protections Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) sent a letter Tuesday, October 22 to Education Secretary Arne Duncan requesting more information about student privacy protections. The letter acknowledged the potential for the collection, analysis, and storage of K-12 students’ academic records, but expressed concerns about putting such sensitive information in private hands. The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Pell Grant Report The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report examining the recent growth of the Pell Grant Program and policy options to address the cost of the program. As lawmakers look to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in the coming year, there is no doubt the cost of the Pell Grant … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Gainful Employment Nominations for individuals to serve on the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare proposed rules for gainful employment programs under Title IV are due July 12. The department may establish additional negotiated rulemaking committees to consider action on issues, including: (1) Cash management of funds provided under Title IV … Continue Reading