ACTE, along with a coalition of other organizations, sent a letter to the Department of Education (ED) seeking answers to critical questions regarding the their recent notice of interpretation impacting postsecondary CTE and adult education programs.
Earlier this summer, the Trump Administration issued new interpretive guidance on the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The Notice of Interpretation removes prior exemptions from PRWORA’s definition of a “public benefit,” further limiting access for undocumented immigrants. Under this change, postsecondary CTE programs funded through Perkins V and adult basic education programs supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are now included, despite previously being exempt. The interpretation also appears to extend to K-12 dual and concurrent enrollment programs.
While court action has put the implementation of this new interpretation on hold in some states, we hope to get additional clarity soon. ACTE is joined by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in seeking clarification regarding how and in what ways states and local grantees are expected to operationalize these new requirements.
ACTE is looking forward to a response from ED on these important questions. If you have any questions, please reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).
