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 Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced that he will not be voting until February as he undergoes continued cancer treatment.

ADMINISTRATION

On December 30, ED made publicly available the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 award year. ED initially provided access to the FAFSA for small periods of time each day but has been expanding the number of hours that the form is available.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published an interim final rule on the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program (Summer EBT) and non-congregate meals.

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]

Community Colleges Primed For, but Struggling With, Tech Adoption [Inside Higher Ed]

What Does a New Governor Mean for Higher Ed in Louisiana? [Inside Higher Ed]

The FAFSA rollout has been rough on students. The biggest problem is yet to come [NPR]

How private colleges are grappling with growing partisan divides [Higher Ed Dive]

Conservatives see Harvard, Penn takedowns as just the beginning [The Hill]

Education Department withholds $2.2M from 3 student loan servicers [Higher Ed Dive

Education Dept. focuses on consumer protection in rule making [Inside Higher Ed

Education Dept. Official Resigns Over Biden’s Policies on Israel and Gaza [The New York Times]

Black students who enroll at HBCUs have higher bachelor’s degree attainment, research finds [Higher Ed Dive]

Education Department unveils policy proposals for accreditation, state authorization [Higher Ed Dive]

FAFSA launch hindered by technical glitches [Higher Ed Dive]

Bill would fund AI training through schools, nonprofits [Inside Higher Ed]

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

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Schumer, Jeffries Joint Statement On Bipartisan Topline Appropriations Agreement

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: NEWS: Chairman Bernie Sanders Statement of Strong Support for the Renomination of Acting Secretary Julie Su to Lead Labor Department

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Senator Murray on Framework Appropriations Agreement

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte to Mark Up Bills to Support Pregnant Students and Curtail Human Trafficking

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden for Protecting Workers’ Workplace Rights

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Statement on December Jobs Report

House Committee on Budget  

Press Release: Chairman Arrington Reacts to Highest National Debt in History

House Committee on Ways and Means

Press Release: Neal Statement on December 2023 Jobs Report

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Statement from President Joe Biden on the December Jobs Report

ED Media Advisory: Secretary Cardona to Visit New Hampshire to Highlight Debt Forgiveness Programs and Discuss Rise in Antisemitism and Islamophobia on College Campuses

IES Blog: How Often Do High School Students Meet With Counselors About College? Differences by Parental Education and Counselor Caseload

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor announces final rule on classifying workers as employees or independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.6914 — Pregnant Students’ Rights Act

Sponsor: Hinson, Ashley [Rep.-R-IA-2] (Introduced 01/05/2024) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 01/09/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

NEH Grant Notice: Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions. Applications due on or before January 11, 2024.

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

ED Notice: Connecting Adults to Success: Career Navigator Training Study (CATS Study). Comments due on or before January 22, 2024.

NSF Grant Notice: Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science. Applications due on or before January 29, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Migrant Student Information Exchange User Application Form. Comments are due on or before March 11, 2024.