July 26, 2016 

Last Week in Congress and the Administration

HOUSE and SENATE

The House and Senate will be in recess until after the September 5^th Labor Day Holiday.

ADMINISTRATION 

The White House announced its Advanced Wireless Research Initiative. This new program will enable the deployment and use of four city-scale testing platforms for advanced wireless research over the next decade.

ED outlined a series of currently implemented and enhanced servicing standards that will guide the future of federal student loan servicing practices. The standards give direction in five areas: economic incentive; accurate and actionable information; consistency; accountability and; transparency. ED expects to fully implement these standards as part of the forthcoming structural changes to the loan servicing contracts awarded by the Department.

ED released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on state authorization of distance education programs related to higher education. The official publication in the Federal Register for this NPRM is expected on Monday (July 25), and there will be a 30-day comment period.

Julius Lloyd Horwich, of Illinois, was confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs of ED on July 14, 2016 by the Senate by a Voice Vote.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

$100 Million in New Research Awards Highlight Adult Education, Social Learning [Education Week]

Education Dept. spells out new student borrower protections [Inside Higher Ed]

Government gets tough on student loan servicers, but will it be effective? [The Washington Post]

Experts say schools must do more to address early signs of sexual harassment [EdSource]

Education Department releases latest draft of state authorization rule [Inside Higher Ed]

Black colleges: Obama’s loan forgiveness rules could bankrupt us [The Hill]

A rather unusual collaboration: Amazon teams up with Wells Fargo on private student loan deal [The Washington Post]

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

Department of Education:

• Press Release: Education Department to Implement Improved Customer Service and Enhanced Protections for Student Loan Borrowers
• Blog: 5 Things You Should Know about WIOA
• Press Release: Education Department Proposes Rule on State Authorization of Postsecondary Distance Education, Foreign Locations

Institute of Education Sciences:

• Report: First Year Experience Courses
• Report: Persistence and Attainment among Postsecondary Subbaccalaureate Students

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.5926 — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
Sponsor:          Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4] (Introduced 07/22/2016)
Committees:     House – Appropriations
Committee Reports:      H. Rept. 114-699
Latest Action:    07/22/2016 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 541.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math Science Annual Performance Report. Comments due September 19, 2016.

ED Comment Request: State authorization sections of the Institutional Eligibility regulations issued under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Comments due August 24, 2016.

VA Comment Request: Application for Educational Assistance to Supplement Tuition Assistance. Comments due September 20, 2016.