Good Afternoon everyone,
I am forwarding a publication that the US ED puts out regularly. I noticed in the first article some very pertinent news. (see snip) Please note that the Department of Education is holding hearings on April
11, 12, and 13 that pertain to TRIO regulations.
They are soliciting comments, and I know many of you may have thoughts you wish to share. COE also stated at Policy Seminar last week, that they will be having meetings with the Department this summer on
this issue. I know that VUB has specific changes to regulations they wish to see regarding eligibility, as does SSS. This is a chance for you to be heard! (see below)
Full newsletter included in full below for your convenience
Best,
Terry
Terry T. Charlton, M.Ed
TRIO Student Support Services Director
Maine Educational Opportunity Association (MEEOA) President
Central Maine Community College
1250 Turner Street
Auburn, Maine 04210
[log in to unmask]">Tel: (207) 755-5238
“ Access without support is not opportunity” – Vincent Tinto
Pronouns: She, her, hers
From: U.S. Department of Education <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2023 10:00 AM
To: Charlton, Terry T. <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: ED Review (03/31/23)
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the sender and know the content is safe.
Having
trouble viewing this email? View
it as a Web page. March 31, 2023 HIGHER EDUCATION RULEMAKING The Department will hold virtual public hearings on April 11, 12, and 13 to receive stakeholder feedback on potential issues for future higher education rulemaking.
This announcement is the first step in the process of issuing new regulations. Following these hearings, the agency will finalize the issues to be addressed and solicit nominations for non-federal negotiators who can serve on the negotiated rulemaking committee(s),
which will convene in fall 2023 (press
release and
negotiated
rulemaking for 2023-24 site). The Department suggests the following topics for regulation in the
hearing
notice but invites comment on any regulatory issue that can improve outcomes for students:
·
the Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and related issues;
·
institutional eligibility, including state authorization;
·
third-party servicers and related issues;
·
the definition of distance education, as it pertains to clock hour programs and reporting students who enroll primarily online;
·
return of Title IV funds;
·
cash management to address disbursement of student funds; and
·
federal TRIO programs. The Department also invites public input on how it could, through its regulations, help improve borrowers’ understanding of repayment options and ensure borrowers
select an income-driven repayment plan -- instead of enrolling in deferment or forbearance -- if doing so would be in their best interest. On each day, the hearing will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Individuals who would like to offer comments must register by sending
an email message to [log in to unmask]
no later than 12 noon ET on the business day prior to the hearing at which they wish to speak. The message should include the name and email address of the speaker, general topic(s) to be addressed, and at least two dates and times during which the individual
would be available to speak. The Department will attempt to accommodate each speaker’s scheduling preference. However, if it is unable to do so, determinations will be made on a first-come,
first-served basis based on the registration submission date and time. Speakers’ comments will be limited to four minutes. Individuals who wish to just observe the hearings must register too. The public is also invited to provide written comments by April
24. In related news:
·
The Federal Student Aid (FSA) office published the “Better
FAFSA, Better Future Roadmap,” an implementation timeline of resources, guidance, and training materials
about the redesigned 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, which is currently on track to be launched in December 2023 (see
electronic
announcement).
·
FSA also published updated
Public
Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) data: through early February, approximately 453,000 borrowers have qualified
for forgiveness under the limited PSLF waiver.
·
And, FSA issued new guidance on a
one-time
account adjustment for borrowers in PSLF and income-driven repayment plans. ADDRESSING EDUCATION LEADERS In back-to-back-to-back remarks at the Council of the Great City Schools’ Legislative/Policy Conference, the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Legislative
Conference, and the National Association of State Boards of Education’s Legislative Conference, Secretary Cardona called on education leaders to rework systems so they better support promoting academic excellence, improving learning conditions, and preparing
students for a world where global engagement is critical to the nation’s standing. “Now is the time for systems in education that deliver on our nation’s potential and put us in the position to
raise
the bar and lead the world for years to come,” he emphasized. He also urged leaders to tap the $1 billion
allocated under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
(BSCA)
to further advance school-based mental health programs. “Our students are in great need now,” he said. “Let us support you through that work.” Note: In an session open to the public, a number of Chief State School Officers shared how they were using nearly $19 billion of Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds set aside for state use to advance recovery, from high-impact tutoring to student well-being initiatives (agenda
and tweets 1
and 2). PROMOTING DEMOCRACY This week, the United States co-hosted a second
Summit
for Democracy with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and Zambia.
Building on the initial summit, held in December 2021, this year’s summit highlighted how democracies deliver for their citizens and are best equipped to address the world’s most pressing challenges. World leaders convened in a virtual plenary format, followed
by hybrid gatherings in each of the co-host countries with representatives from government, civil society, and the private sector. Secretary Cardona traveled to Lusaka, Zambia, to
lead
the U.S. delegation, including the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S.
Embassy, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Principal Deputy, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator and Acting Director for Democracy, Human Rights, and Government. The theme for Zambia’s gathering was “Free, Fair, and Transparent Elections as the Foundation of Democratic Governance.” The Secretary delivered
opening
remarks (photo).
He also visited
a local school and read to students. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES The Department is currently soliciting applications under several discretionary grant competitions.
·
Fund
for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) -- Open Textbooks Pilot Program. This program
supports projects at eligible postsecondary institutions or state higher education agencies that create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks and materials for courses that are part of a degree-granting program, particularly for those with
high enrollments. (Note: The deadline for applications is May 16.)
·
Strengthening
Institutions Program. The SIP program provides grants to eligible postsecondary institutions to help
them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by improving the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability. (Note: The deadline for applications is May 22.)
·
Undergraduate
International Studies and Foreign Language Program. The UISFL program provides grants for planning,
developing, and carrying out projects to strengthen undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages in the U.S. (Note: The deadline for applications is May 22.)
·
Expanding
Opportunities Through Quality Charter Schools Program -- Grants to State Entities. This program awards
grants to state entities that, in turn, award subgrants to eligible applicants to open new charter schools and replicate and expand high-quality charter schools. (Note: The deadline for applications is June 5.) Also, education and workforce partners are encouraged to apply for Labor’s
State
Apprenticeship Grants, which may be used to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce. PEAP 2023 MATERIALS The Department recently posted the 2023
President’s
Education Awards Program (PEAP) Excellence and Achievement certificates, as well as congratulatory
letters from the President and the Secretary, for download
by school principals. Each
year, hundreds of thousands of elementary, middle, and high school graduates from public, private, and military schools are recognized for their educational accomplishments.
There is no limit on the number of awards that may be downloaded and printed, as long as students meet
criteria
for each award set by schools. ODDS AND ENDS
·
President Biden issued a
proclamation
honoring the victims of the school shooting in Nashville (see also comments
1
and 2),
while Secretary Cardona personally addressed
the tragedy.
·
The President kicked off the Administration’s
“Investing
in America” tour by visiting a semiconductor manufacturing facility in North Carolina. Over the next
three weeks, the President, Vice President, First Lady, Second Gentleman, members of the Cabinet, and senior White House officials will visit over 20 states to spotlight the Administration’s agenda.
·
In a
Dear
Colleague Letter, the Secretary urges swift condemnation and elimination of the use of corporal punishment
in educational settings and shares some guiding
principles for creating safe, inclusive, supportive, and fair school climates (press
release).
·
The Secretary also issued a
statement
after the House introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to halt the Administration’s one-time student loan debt relief plan.
·
Furthermore, the Secretary
praised
the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in favor of students with disabilities.
·
In the fourth
post in a blog
series on discipline and behavior, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Director Valerie Williams
discusses the disparities in discipline practices that students with disabilities, particularly those of color, experience and OSEP-funded technical assistance centers with resources to address discipline disparities.
·
A new “OSEP
Fast Facts” looks at
students
with traumatic brain injury served under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), Part B.
·
The latest “Lessons from the Field” event focused on understanding
and preventing student marijuana use.
·
The Department launched the
Your
Place in Space Challenge -- the first in the
CTE
Momentum series that aims to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to
career and technical education. This challenge invites schools to submit designs for a product or service that will contribute to space missions (blog
post).
·
An
agency
memorandum addresses the end of the public health emergency and the impact on postsecondary student eligibility
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
·
The Department is
requesting
information on successful approaches to innovative assessment implementation that may encourage states
to pursue the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) and improve statewide assessments.
·
In a
Federal Register notice, the Department also announces opportunities for individuals to participate in its
peer
review process for competitive grant funding under many programs.
·
The Department of Agriculture is proposing to lower the threshold for its
Community
Eligibility Provision.
·
Moreover, the White House announced a
Challenge
to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.
·
The new
Choose
AmeriCorps campaign seeks to unlock the power of national service by underscoring opportunities to serve
with AmeriCorps. QUOTE TO NOTE “Transgender Americans shape our nation’s soul -- proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses,
fighting for justice, raising families, and much more. As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: the chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly. As adults, they deserve the same
rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to health care, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens. But, today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms…. [My Administration] is
working to ease the tremendous strain that discrimination, bullying, and harassment can put on transgender children -- more than half of whom seriously considered suicide in the last year. The Department of Education, for example, is helping ensure that transgender
students have equal opportunities to learn and thrive in school, and the Department of Justice is pushing back against extreme laws that seek to ban evidence-based gender-affirming care…. America is founded on the idea that all people are created equal and
deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. We have never fully lived up to that, but we have never walked away from it either. [A]s we celebrate transgender people, we also celebrate every American’s fundamental right to be themselves, bringing
us closer to realizing America’s full promise.” -- President Joseph Biden (3/30/23), in a
proclamation
on Transgender Day of Visibility (see also Secretary Cardona’s statement) UPCOMING EVENTS Among other observations, April is Community
College Month, the Month
of the Military Child, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National
Financial Capability Month, National
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and Second
Chance Month. The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, in conjunction with the Department of Education, will present a Jazz
Informance on April 4 at 1 p.m. ET. Hosted by Secretary Cardona, this event -- a combination
of performance with educational information -- will feature four of the country’s most gifted high school music students, internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet recording artist Terell Stafford, and renowned jazz educator Dr. J. B. Dyas. It will focus not
only on what jazz is and why it is so important to America but also on the American values that jazz represents.
(Note: The event will be
live-streamed
from the Department’s headquarters building.) The 30th Annual Federal
Inter-Agency Holocaust Remembrance Program, “Rays of Hope,” will be held virtually on April
18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. ED Review is
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