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

May 3, 2024

CONGRESS

The House passed H.R.6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023, by a vote of 320 to 91.

ADMINISTRATION

ED announced that applicants without Social Security Numbers (SSNs) can temporarily access and complete the FAFSA form online.

The White House announced key AI actions 180 days following U.S. President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on “The Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.”

ED provided an update that the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will begin transferring a portion of MOHELA student loan borrower accounts to other Federal student loan servicers.

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]

An Asian American Scholar Explores the Admissions Debate That Divided Her Community [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Universities and colleges search for ways to reverse the decline in the ranks of male students [The Hechinger Report]

Title IX lawsuits escalate: 15 states now suing [K-12 Dive]

College Indecision Day [Inside Higher Ed]

Majority of LGTBQ+ students’ mental health impacted by recent policies [K-12 Dive]

Biden forgives more than $6B in student debt for 317K defrauded borrowers [The Hill]

FAFSA, college protests dominate hearing on proposed FY25 education budget [K-12 Dive]

What convinces voters to raise taxes: child care [The Hechinger Report]

Divest? Call the Cops? Presidents Grapple With How to Respond [Inside Higher Ed]

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein arrested at pro-Palestine college protest [The Hill]

Students Needing Career Advice Turn to Faculty [Inside Higher Ed]

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

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Denouncing Acts of Violence At Columbia University And Antisemitism At College Campus Protests

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Delivers Speech Blasting Biden’s FAFSA Failures on National College Decision Day

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Speaker Johnson Launches House-wide Effort to Crack Down on Antisemitism on College Campuses

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Chair Foxx on Biden’s Meager Response to Antisemitic Campus Protests

Press Release: Foxx Statement on Continued Campus Chaos

May 1: Full Committee Hearing on “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor.”

Witnesses: Acting Secretary Julie Su, U.S. Department of Labor.

2175 Rayburn and via YouTube

10:15 a.m. ET

May 7: Full Committee Hearing on “Examining the Education Department’s Policies, Priorities, and FY 2023 Financial Audit Failure”

Witness: Secretary Miguel Cardona, U.S. Department of Education

2175 Rayburn and via Webcast

10:15 a.m. ET

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Senator Collins Questions Secretary of Education on Rise of Anti-Semitism on College Campuses

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Remarks by President Biden on Recent Events on College Campuses

ED Press Release: As White House Honors National Teachers of the Year at State Dinner, Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Data on Public Service Loan Forgiveness Approvals in Every Congressional District

ED Speech: Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Delivers Senate Oral Testimony on the Department of Education’s Budget Request (FY25)

ED Blog: PSLF Processing Improvements: What Borrowers Can Expect

ED Blog: Update for MOHELA student loan borrowers

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.1767 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that educational assistance paid under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance programs to an individual who pursued a program or course of education that was suspended or terminated for certain reasons shall not be charged against the entitlement of the individual, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Ramirez, Delia C. [Rep.-D-IL-3] (Introduced 03/23/2023) Cosponsors: (23)

Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Action: House – 04/30/2024 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection

Press Release: Congresswoman Ramirez’s Bill to Restore Education Benefits for Defrauded Student Veterans Passes the House with Bipartisan Support

H.R.8191 — To prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.

Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12] (Introduced 04/30/2024) Cosponsors: (84)

Committees: House – Judiciary; Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 04/30/2024 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 concerned.

H.R.8242 — To establish that an individual who is convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest that occurs at an institution of higher education shall be ineligible for forgiveness, cancellation, waiver, or modification of certain Federal student loans.

Sponsor: Williams, Brandon [Rep.-R-NY-22] (Introduced 05/02/2024) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce

Latest Action: House – 05/02/2024 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker.

S.4247 — A bill to establish Federal research award reimbursement limits for indirect costs for institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Lee, Mike [Sen.-R-UT] (Introduced 05/02/2024) Cosponsors: (2)

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

Latest Action: Senate – 05/02/2024 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Press Release: Lee Introduces Bill Targeting Wealthy University Subsidies

S.Res.664 — A resolution recognizing the designation of April as “Community College Month” to celebrate more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States supporting access to higher education and workforce training, and more broadly sustaining and advancing the economic prosperity of the United States.

Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA] (Introduced 04/30/2024) Cosponsors: (17)

Latest Action: Senate – 04/30/2024 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Press Release: Senate Passes Markey, Collins Bipartisan Resolution to Designate April “Community College Month” To Celebrate More than 1,000 Community Colleges Nationwide

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Comment Request: Application for Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Funding. Comments due on or before May 10, 2024.

ED Comment Request: The Title VI Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program Application (1894-0001). Comments due on or before May 20, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs. Comments due on or before June 17, 2024.

ED Notice: Annual Notice of Interest Rates for Variable-Rate Federal Student Loans Made Under the Federal Family Education Loan Program Prior to July 1, 2010.

ED Comment Request: Pell Grant Reporting Under the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System