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

CONGRESS

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) subpoenaed Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su regarding documents related to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) summit.

The House completed consideration of amendments to its fiscal year (FY) 2024 LHHS bill but did not hold a vote on final passage of the measure.

The Government Accountability Office released a report with recommendations to prevent fraud in future student loan debt relief efforts based on the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) approval of debt relief applications as part of the Administration’s previous attempt to provide between $10,000-$20,000 in loan forgiveness for qualifying borrowers.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education announced changes in its implementation of the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority.

ED announced its new “Being Bilingual is a Superpower” initiative to promote multilingual education.

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]

Students Sound Off on Career Centers [Inside Higher Ed]

Univ. of Maine System Offers Free Tuition to Survivors of Shooting [Inside Higher Ed]

ACLU, Lambda Legal challenge sweeping Iowa education law in federal court [The Hill]

Jewish groups sue University of California over ‘unchecked’ antisemitism [The Hill]

After Supreme Court ruling, college applicants still write about race [The Washington Post]

Recruiting to Campuses Far, Far Away [Inside Higher Ed]

Kentucky is thinking about removing gen ed from 2-year colleges. Regulators don’t agree. [Higher Ed Dive]

Affirmative Action Is Dead. How About Reparations? [Inside Higher Ed]

‘Good but Slow Start’ for a New Pathway to Student Loan Discharges [Inside Higher Ed]

Colleges refocus on career services as students seek return on degrees [The Washington Post]

GAO: Future student loan relief programs must fully address fraud risks [Higher Ed Dive]

What Determines Post-College Pay? Luck [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Often overwhelmed on big campuses, rural college students push for support [The Hechinger Report]

Work experience, not college, prepared employees for jobs, study finds [Higher Ed Dive]

Why Is the College Board Pushing to Expand Advanced Placement? [The New York Times]

Reinstating Pell Grants in Prisons Moves Slowly After 26-Year Ban [Inside Higher Ed]

Which Is Better, Active Learning or Lecture? It’s Not So Simple. [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Senate Republicans fail to stop Biden’s new student loan income-driven repayment plan [The Hill]

Unpacking 3 major trends in ed tech and for-profit education [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Final Passage Of The Bipartisan Continuing Resolution To Avoid A Harmful Government Shutdown

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy, Paul Raise Alarm over Potential Biden Student Loan Scheme Cover Up

Press Release: Prepared Remarks: Chairman Sanders Delivers Senate Floor Speech in Defense of Student Debt Relief

House Minority Leader

Press Release: “Democrats Are Ready, Willing and Able to Find Bipartisan Common Ground for The Good of The American People”

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Foxx, McClain Launch Probe into Title IX Rule Changes

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Shooting in Burlington, Vermont

White House Press Release: Readout of Meeting on Priority Issues for First-Generation College Students

ED Press Release: Secretary Cardona Discusses with National Muslim, Arab, and Sikh Leaders the Alarming Rise of Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate in Schools and Colleges

ED Press Release: Biden-Harris Administration Launches “Being Bilingual is a Superpower” to Promote Multilingual Education for a Diverse Workforce

GAO Report: Student Loans: Education Should Proactively Manage Fraud Risks in Any Future Debt Relief Efforts

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.6472 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to codify a grant program to promote and assist in the reentry of justice-involved individuals into the workforce.

Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11] (Introduced 11/21/2023) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 11/21/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6500 — To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish an Office of Prison Education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Dean, Madeleine [Rep.-D-PA-4] (Introduced 11/29/2023) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Judiciary; Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Action: House – 11/29/2023 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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 committee…

S.3362 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require additional information in disclosures of foreign gifts and contracts from foreign sources, restrict contracts with certain foreign entities and foreign countries of concern, require certain staff and faculty to report foreign gifts and contracts, and require disclosure of certain foreign investments within endowments.

Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC] (Introduced 11/29/2023) Cosponsors: (6)

Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Action: Senate – 11/29/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Notice: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs Final Performance Report. Comments due on or before December 21, 2023.

ED Notice: Direct Loan, FFEL, Perkins and TEACH Grant Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application and Related Forms. Comments due on or before December 27, 2023.

ED Grant Notice:  Office of Migrant Education (OME): College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). Applications due on or before January 16, 2024.

ED Notice: College Assistance Migrant Program. Applications due on or before January 16, 2024.

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

ED Notice: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Information To Be Verified for the 2024-2025 Award Year

ED Notice: Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board

ED Notice: Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

ED Notice: Annual Notice of Interest Rates for Variable-Rate Federal Student Loans Made Under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.