As the Senate and House continue to be on recess, there is little activity on the Hill. There was significant activity from the Education Department (ED) this week though, including a proposed overhaul of the postsecondary accreditation system and guidance on educational technology. The nation’s second Workforce Pell Grant eligible program was also approved this week in Indiana. Read more policy update details below.  

• ED Proposes Overhaul of Accreditation System: On August 19, ED issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register including new proposed regulations that would significantly change the postsecondary accreditation system. The proposed changes, based on the recommendations from a negotiated rulemaking committee and an executive order from last year, would streamline the process for recognizing new accreditors and require colleges to prioritize free-speech rights and ensure faculty are intellectually diverse. Comments are due on September 21.   

• ED Approves Second Workforce Pell Grant Program: On August 19, ED approved the nation’s second Workforce Pell Grant program in Indiana. Eligible students at Ivy Tech Community College can now use federal Pell Grant dollars to enroll in its Clinical Medical Assistant program, an 8-week program that prepares students for careers in key healthcare professions.     

• ED Issues Guidance on Educational Technology: On August 20, ED issued a Dear Colleague Letter that outlines how states and school districts can leverage educational technology to support student outcomes and avoid treating all technology use the same. The guidance focuses on ensuring tools are responsibly designed and evaluated to show educational value; promoting collaboration between states, schools, communities and technology providers; and expanding learning opportunities for students through technology. 

• ED Issues Directive on Student Discipline Policies: On August 18, ED issued a Dear Colleague Letter that outlines how discipline policies must treat students regardless of race. The letter follows ED’s rulemaking that removed disparate impact provisions from their regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.    

• ED Will Use Own Systems to Send Most K-12 Funds: Reporting from Education Week indicates that ED will continue to use its own grant system to send states Title I and other ESSA formula grant funds despite IAAs transferring administration of those programs’ administration to the Department of Labor (DOL). ED also confirmed that competitive education grants transferred to other agencies will be awarded by those agencies. 

• SHEEO Launches National Coalition to Scale Work-Based Learning: The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) announced the launch of a 20-state coalition participating in Advancing State and Systems Strategies for Work-Based Learning, a national, multi-state initiative designed to help states build sustainable, scalable approaches to postsecondary work-based learning experiences and quality education-to-career coaching. 

• DOJ Says Some NSF STEM Programs Are Unconstitutional: The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently concluded that several STEM education programs from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that consider race or gender are unconstitutional. The NSF must reallocate funds for these programs, including one aimed at supporting Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs), to other STEM education initiatives. Other programs, such as the Advanced Technological Education program, can remain operational. 

• Gates Foundation Announces AI Learning Grants: The Gates Foundation recently announced the AI Transformation Learning Grants program, an initiative that will award funding to postsecondary institutions pursuing innovative uses of AI and technology. Examples of transformative uses include AI-enabled student support and advising systems, adaptive learning pathways, data modernization and workforce readiness. Applications are due September 11. 

• ED Indicates It Will Disperse Delayed Alaska Native Education Funds: Following a delay of over a month, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) indicated that ED has agreed to disperse Alaska Native Education program funds to grantees. ED did not provide a reason for the delay nor stated when funds will be dispersed. 

• ED Clarifies How Students Can Access Uncapped Loans: ED is reworking the way it determines whether existing students are eligible for uncapped loans. Last week, staffers at the Office of Federal Student Aid clarified how they are calculating “expected time to credential,”, a formula used to determine how long certain students can remain eligible for the Grad and Parent PLUS programs under new loan limits.  

• ED Recalculates Student Loan Forgiveness Counts: ED is reevaluating account histories for borrowers pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness in a way that, in some cases, reduces the number of qualifying payments and pushes those individuals further away from debt cancellation. A spokesperson for ED said they are correcting “coding errors” made by the Biden administration.  

• ED Approves Waivers for Three More States: On August 21, ED approved additional Ed-Flex waivers for Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina, marking 25 states total that are participating in the Ed-Flex program. The program allows states to waive certain federal requirements, including flexibility in how states spend specific federal funds.  

• Secretary McMahon Continues National Education Tour: Secretary McMahon continued visiting states this week as part of her “Returning Education to the States Tour.” At Winchester Public Schools in Virginia, McMahon highlighted the importance of CTE and workforce readiness, touring the district’s area technical center.