Below is an abridged version of RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

CONGRESS

No legislative updates this week.

ADMINISTRATION

The Biden Administration began accepting applications for its Federal student loan forgiveness initiative that allows Federal student loan borrowers to access up to $20,000 in Federal loan forgiveness.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced it will host the first of five sessions “focused on strategies and programs to boost student literacy and math outcomes” on October 26.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).

THE COURTS
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied an emergency request by the Brown County Taxpayers Association for an order to stop the Biden Administration’s loan forgiveness initiative. A Federal judge in Missouri dismissed the lawsuit by six States seeking to halt the same initiative.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was unconstitutional.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information.

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

Biden administration alerting borrowers in line for automatic student debt relief [The Washington Post]

Campus Recovery Programs Help Students Stay Sober [Inside Higher Ed]

Supreme Court Asked to Block Debt-Relief Plan [Inside Higher Ed]

Community college students need help meeting basic needs [Higher Ed Dive]

Colleges should use K-12 performance assessments for course placement, report says [Higher Ed Dive]

Biden to call out Republicans for attacks on student loan forgiveness plan [The Hill]

Big Vote on Undocumented Students [Inside Higher Ed]

Undergraduate enrollment declines 1.1% this fall, dashing hopes of quick recovery [Higher Ed Dive]

Biden’s student debt relief program reaches 22M applications [POLITICO]

Report: Small Rise in Tuition Rates [Inside Higher Ed]

Op Ed: Here’s how one New England State is addressing sharp declines in higher-ed student enrollment [The Hechinger Report]

Student Aid Eligibility Changes Under FAFSA Simplification [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: How to Stanch Enrollment Loss [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:

Speaker of the House
Press Release: Transcript of Pelosi Remarks During Tour of Our Next Energy (ONE) Facility

House Committee on Education and Labor
Press Release: Foxx Statement on Student Loan Rulings

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Press Release: Remarks by President Biden on the Student Debt Relief Portal Beta Test

GAO Blog: As the Next Round of COVID Boosters Become Widely Available and Flu Season Begins, What Do We Know about Adult Vaccination Rates?

GAO Report: Information Technology: Education Needs to Address Student Aid Modernization Weaknesses

White House Speech: Remarks by President Biden on Student Loan Forgiveness

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce Additional Efforts to Help Americans Get Their Free, Updated COVID-⁠19 Vaccine This Fall

ED Press Release: Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Debt Relief

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:

H.R.9201 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to promote mental wellness and resilience and heal mental health, behavioral health, and psychosocial problems through age and culturally appropriate community programs, and award grants for the purpose of establishing, operating, or expanding community-based mental wellness and resilience programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20] (Introduced 10/18/2022)
Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 10/18/2022 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Press Release: Tonko, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Empower Communities with Resilience & Mental Wellness.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Correction: Student Assistance General Provisions, Federal Family Education Loan Program, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; Student Assistance General Provisions, The Secretary’s Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, The Secretary’s Recognition Procedures for State Agencies; Distance Education and Innovation

ED Comment Request: Federal Student Aid User Experience Design Research Generic Clearance. Comments due on or before December 20, 2022.

ED Comment Request: Generic Clearance for Federal Student Aid Customer Satisfaction Surveys and Focus Groups Master Plan. Comments due by or before November 23, 2022.

ED Application Notice: Digital Learning Infrastructure and IT Modernization Pilot. Applications due on or before November 25, 2022.