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.

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) along with House Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN) and House Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued statements opposing the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) decision to allow graduate students at private colleges and universities to unionize.

ADMINISTRATION

The NLRB issued a 3-1 decision, in a case involving Columbia University, that graduate students at private colleges and universities are statutory employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act. This decision would allow for the formation of unions representing graduate students at these institutions.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took action against Wells Fargo Bank for alleged illegal private student loan servicing practices.

ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid announced a series of updates to its Data Center, including data on applications received for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

ED took a series of actions regarding ITT Educational services including banning the institution from enrolling new Title IV students.

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

U.S. Cuts Off ITT Tech [Article 1 – Inside Higher Education]

Teacher-Prep Accreditation Group Seeks to Regain Traction [Article 6 – Education Week]

Third-party presidential candidates offer contrasting approaches to higher ed [Article 8 – Inside Higher Ed]

Southern universities are fiscally crumbling [Article 9 – The Atlantic]

Study: Paying Tuition With Credit Cards Is Costly [Article 11 – Inside Higher Ed]
Creditcards.com Survey: Card acceptance for tuition rises, but so do fees

Fewer Bachelor’s Holders at Two-Year Institutions [Article 12 – Inside Higher Ed]
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Report: Two-Year Enrollment after Bachelor’s Degree

Federal data show strong interest in Public Service Loan Forgiveness, income-driven repayment [Article 7 – Inside Higher Ed]

Court’s decision on U.S. transgender policy could threaten other Title IX rules [Article 10 – Inside Higher Ed]

How Cuts to Public Universities Have Driven Students Out of State [Article 10 – The New York Times]

Federal Trade Commission begins to crack down on ‘predatory’ publishers [Article 11 – Inside Higher Ed]

U.S. Department of Education

• Press Release: Department of Education Bans ITT from Enrolling New Title IV Students, Adds Tough New Financial Oversight
• Press Release: Department of Education Releases New Public Service Loan Forgiveness Application Data
• Blog: Transformation Through Education: The Importance of Second Chance Pell

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-270) State Plan Guide. Comments due September 26, 2016.

ED Comment Request: 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study: (BPS:12/17). Comments due October 24, 2016.

ED Notice: Invites publishers to submit tests for review and approval for use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS). Deadlines for transmittal of applications: October 1, 2016 and April 1, 2017.