The National Policy Seminar is finally here! ACTE staff will be supporting state leaders next week as they
meet with their representatives on the Hill to advocate for legislation that supports and expands CTE programs and opportunities. In other news, we are still gathering signatures on a House letter distributed last week to support increased CTE funding in FY 2027, and you can ask your representative to sign the letter here! The deadline has been extended to Tuesday, March 24. Read more updates below.

• ED and Treasury Announce Student Aid Partnership: On March 19, ED and the Treasury Department announced the Federal Student Assistance Partnership, which aims to enhance the administration of federal student aid programs. Under the interagency agreement, the Treasury will assume responsibility for collecting defaulted federal student loan debt and provide operational support to ED.
• ED and DOL Announce First Joint Grant Competition: On March 17, the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced the FY 2026 grant competition for federal TRIO programs, with an emphasis on connecting disadvantaged students to workforce training opportunities such as Registered Apprenticeships – a significant shift away from the traditional focus of the program. The competition is the first to be held under ED’s postsecondary education partnership with the DOL. Applications are due on May 1, and interested practitioners can view the grant here.
• White House Proposes AI Framework: On March 20, the White House released its proposed framework for a national AI policy. The document outlines six key objectives, including one around “Educating Americans and Developing an AI-Ready Workforce,” that the Administration hopes Congress will address through legislation. We will have more analysis soon!
• Senators Collins and Murray Release FY 27 Appropriations Guidance: On March 18, Senators Collins and Murray, Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released guidance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 programmatic, language, and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests in the Senate. Requests for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee are due to the Committee from Senators on April 21.
• House Education Committee Advances Student Aid Fraud Prevention Bills: On March 17, the House Education & Workforce Committee advanced three bills focused on preventing fraud in the federal student aid programs. These bills were the Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026, and the FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act.
• DOL Hosts National Apprenticeship Week 2026 Virtual Town Hall: On March 26 at 3:00 PM EST, DOL is hosting a virtual Town Hall in celebration of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2026. The Town Hall will bring together ApprenticeshipUSA partners and stakeholders to discuss strategies for getting involved in NAW 2026, mobilizing local networks, and engaging with DOL leadership.
• Kent Highlights Potential Changes on Mergers: Speaking at an event this week, ED Under Secretary Nicholas Kent indicated potential federal policy changes to ease mergers and acquisitions for postsecondary institutions.
• IHEP Launches Project to Reform the NCES: On March 19, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) announced the launch of a national project and task force to reform the postsecondary data infrastructure at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Members of the task force include former leaders at the NCES and experts from state agencies, think tanks and other research organizations.
• NSF Invests $11M on AI Professional Development for Teachers: On March 19, the National Science Foundation announced that it was awarding $11 million to the Computer Science Teachers Association to support the dissemination of AI professional development. The multi-state initiative aims to expand computer science and AI integration and knowledge for K-12 teachers.
• Judge Blocks Administration Demand for Admissions Data: On March 13, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from demanding detailed student admissions data from colleges. The order is a temporary win for universities, as they were facing potential financial penalties if they missed a March 18 deadline to hand over the data.
• ED Reproaches Accreditors over their DEI Standards: On March 16, ED Under Secretary Nicholas Kent sent letters to two accreditors alleging that diversity, equity and inclusion practices in their standards conflict with federal law. ED ultimately renewed the accreditors’ federal recognition.