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

CONGRESS

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) issued a Dear Colleague Letter on implementation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act for the 2024-2025 award year.

THE COURTS 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a nationwide injunction against the implementation of the Biden Administration’s recently issued borrower defense to repayment (BDR) rule. The court announced that it will hear appellate arguments in the Career Colleges and Schools of Texas v. the U.S. Department of Education case in November 2023.

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]

Leveling the Playing Field for Pell-Eligible Students [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: Does Humanities Research Still Matter? [Inside Higher Ed]

Rental Increases are Slowing Down—Except in Student Housing [Inside Higher Ed]

Two-thirds of colleges are adding online programs, survey finds [Higher Ed Dive]

Legal challenges to Biden’s student loan plans have borrowers anxious ahead of payment restart [The Hill]

With farm bill, HBCUs see chance to fix historic underfunding [Inside Higher Ed]

Another AI Issue for Schools to Know About: Bias Against Non-Native English Speakers [Education Week]

How Georgia’s university system plans to add 11K in-state students [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Speaker of the House

Press Release: When Will President Biden Admit That “Bidenomics” Is A Total Failure?

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Foxx, Kiley Slam DOL for Failing to Consider Regulatory Impacts on Small Businesses

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Press Release: FACT SHEET: One Year In, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is Driving Historic Climate Action and Investing in America to Create Good Paying Jobs and Reduce Costs

White House Press Release: Understanding the Economics of Investing in America: A Collection of Resources

ED Media Advisory: U.S. Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary of Education to Visit Madison, Wisconsin to Promote Education and Workforce Development for the Jobs of the Future

ED Press Release: Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education: Justice and Education Departments Release Resources to Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education

HHS Press Release: The Biden-Harris Administration Announces $100 Million to Grow the Nursing Workforce

IES Press Release: NCSER Awards FY 2023 R & D Center for Supporting Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.Res.649 — Calling on the United States to champion a regional artificial intelligence strategy in the Americas to foster inclusive artificial intelligence systems that combat biases within marginalized groups and promote social justice, economic well-being, and democratic values.

Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D-NY-13] (Introduced 08/08/2023) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Science, Space, and Technology

Latest Action: House – 08/08/2023 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the…

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Comment Request: Federal Direct Loan Program and Federal Family Education Loan Program Teacher Loan Forgiveness Forms. Comments due on or before August 21.

ED Notice: Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records. Comments due on or before August 28, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Direct Loan, FFEL, Perkins and TEACH Grant Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application and Related Forms. Comments due on or before September 8, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Loan Discharge Applications (DL/FFEL/Perkins). Comments due on or before September 8, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Eligibility Regulations. Comments due on or before September 22, 2023.

ED Grant: Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education—Historically Black Colleges or Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program. Applications due on or before October 2, 2023.

ED Grant: Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program. Applications due on or before October 13, 2023.