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

ADMINISTRATION

ED began discharging Federal student loans which were subject to payment count adjustments due to faulty record keeping practices by the agency. The issuing of these discharges came after a Federal judge dismissed, for lack of standing, a lawsuit seeking to prevent this action.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with ED, DOJ and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched a public awareness campaign to highlight Federal school safety resources and evidence-based practices available through SchoolSafety.gov.

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]

Petition emerges to save Dickinson State arts programs amid $1M deficit [Higher Ed Dive]

Op-Ed: The right-wing campaign to make our kids dumber [Los Angeles Times]

AI Raises Complicated Questions About Authorship [Inside Higher Ed]

Feds Complicate College Mergers, With Possible Unintended Consequences [Inside Higher Ed]

Slashing Its Budget, West Virginia University Asks, What Is Essential? [The New York Times]

Two years on, few colleges still require COVID vaccines [Inside Higher Ed]

How best to support the whole student [Inside Higher Ed]

Lawmakers urge Education Department to help end legacy and donor admissions [Higher Ed Dive]

House Republicans’ bill would freeze Education Department hiring [Higher Ed Dive]

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

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Foxx Slams Workers United for Ignoring Inquiry on Ties to Union Organizer

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Press Release: Statement from Vice President Harris on Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s new SAVE Plan for Student Loan Repayment

ED Press Release: Biden-Harris Administration Launches Most Affordable Repayment Plan Ever, Transforming Income-Driven Repayment by Cutting Undergraduate Payments in Half and Preventing Unpaid Interest Accumulation

DOL Press Release: Department of Labor announces availability of $65M in grants to expand access to training needed for good-paying jobs in high-demand industries

Legislative Movement in Congress:

No relevant legislative action.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Comment Request: Application for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program. Comments due on or before August 30, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs Final Performance Report. Comments due on or before September 8, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Loan Discharge Application: Forgery. Comments due on or before September 13, 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.

ED Notice: President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.