ACTE continues to work closely alongside lawmakers as the deadline for Congress to approve appropriations bills approaches. The Senate advanced funding legislation that rejects most of the Trump Administration’s requests to cut funding from the National Science Foundation and other scientific research initiatives. Negotiations surrounding funding for the Education (ED) and Labor Departments (DOL) continued this week. In other news, ACTE has been coordinating activities for CTE Month and preparing to introduce a resolution to Congress. Read more updates below. 

• ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress: Support Education Funding in the FY 2026 Appropriations Bill! Congress returned to session this month and has until January 30 to finalize FY 2026 appropriation bills before the current continuing resolution expires. Lawmakers are still negotiating education and workforce funding, with the Senate proposing level funding for Perkins while the House recommends a $25 million increase but makes significant funding cuts in other programs. CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support education and workforce development funding as they finalize FY 2026 appropriations bills!  

• Updated CTE Advocacy Resources: This week, ACTE published updated versions of our “What is CTE?” and “CTE Works!” fact sheets, providing CTE advocates and practitioners with essential information for their work. Read more on the blog here. 

• ED Rulemaking Committee Reaches Consensus on a New Accountability Framework: Last week, the AHEAD Committee at ED reached consensus on a number of different issues related to postsecondary education under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Among the major decisions regulators made was approving a new accountability framework for postsecondary programs. Under the framework, programs that fail to demonstrate its graduates earn more than a high school graduate for two out of three years will be ineligible to receive Federal Direct Loans. Programs that also make up half of an institution’s Title IV funds or recipients will lose access to Pell Grants. 

• National Postsecondary Enrollment Data Released: This week, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released national fall 2025 postsecondary enrollment data. Total postsecondary enrollment slightly increased compared to the previous fall, with higher growth occurring in certificate and two-year vocational and technical programs. 

• Workforce Development Top Priority for States in 2026: A report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association found that economic and workforce development is the top policy issue state higher education agencies are focusing on in 2026. States are working on a number of initiatives to better align their education and workforce systems, from preparing for Workforce Pell to collaborating with industry partners. 

• ED Announces Next Steps in Postsecondary IAA: On Jan. 15, ED announced the next steps it will take to implement its interagency agreement (IAA) between the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) and the DOL. On the week of Jan 20, OPE staff in the Higher Education Programs (HEP) Division will be detailed to work at the DOL, and HEP grantees will transition to the DOL’s grant management system. This follows ED’s move last year to transition several OCTAE staff members and management of Perkins funding to the DOL.  

• House Education Committee Holds Hearing on AI: On Jan 14, the House Education & Workforce Committee held a hearing on AI’s impact on education and the workforce. Testimony during the hearing focused on various topics, including credentials of value and workforce development programs that incorporate AI tools. Listen to the hearing here. 

• House Science Committee Holds Additional AI Hearing: Also on Jan 14, the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing on the AI Action Plan. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios testified on the administration’s AI strategy plan and  emphasized the need for a unified national framework to support innovation and avoid a patchwork of state regulations. 

• New Democrat Coalition Releases Workforce & Ed Agenda: On Jan 9, the New Democrat Coalition—the largest Democratic Caucus in the House—released their workforce and education agenda, focusing on ensuring students have access to public education and graduate high school college and career ready. Noteworthy priorities include expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs and utilizing emerging technologies to teach students career-ready skills. Read more here. 

• ED, Interior and DOL Invite Tribal Consultation on IAA: On Jan. 9, ED announced that it sent a letter inviting tribal leaders to provide feedback to ED on the interagency agreement (IAA) between ED, Department of Interior (DOI) and DOL, affecting Native American education programs. The consultation will be led by ED’s Office of Indian Education.