The House was out of session this week, but co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, Reps. Thompson (R-PA) and Bonamici (D-OR), are circulating this “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to the chair and ranking member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter requests increased funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. Representatives have until March 17 to sign the letter. Read more, along with other policy updates, below.  

• House Letter Requests Increased CTE Funding in FY 27: Click here to ask your representative to sign the letter and support increased CTE funding in the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.  

• Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act Introduced in House: On March 11, Reps. Thompson (R-PA) and Bonamici (D-OR) introduced the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act. The legislation seeks to create a pilot program that will award competitive grants to CTE programs that integrate cybersecurity into their curriculum. 

• DOL Releases Guidance on Registered Apprenticeship Programs: On March 9, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance aimed at accelerating Registered Apprenticeship program growth by reducing program and administrative burdens. Additionally, the department announced the launch of a data portal containing apprenticeship completion rates as well as a website with registration timelines and information. For practitioners seeking additional guidance, the department will be hosting a webinar on March 27 at 1PM EST. 

• ED Offers Extension to Colleges on Postsecondary Data Collections: The Department of Education (ED) is offering extensions to some colleges that need additional time to collect the necessary race and gender admissions data requested by the department last year. Officials at ED have indicated they will use the data to identify schools that may be engaging in race-based admissions practices. Also this week, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys announced a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, arguing that the data collection is unlawful. 

• GAO Releases Report on Federal Student Aid Office: On March 11, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report recommending the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) resume regular assessments of its loan servicers. The department stopped conducting assessments of servicers in February 2025 and later significantly cut staffing across offices, including FSA. As a result, the report argues, the office lacks the ability to ensure borrower records are correct and that servicers are providing borrowers with accurate information. 

• IES Releases Postsecondary Data on First-time College Students: On March 10, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) released data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS). The data examines first-time students who entered college in the 2019-20 academic year and follows them through the 2021-22 year. Researchers and the public can conduct basic analyses of the data on DataLab, and those interested in obtaining a restricted-use dataset can visit this website to learn more.  

• ED Announces Upcoming FAFSA System Updates: On March 9, ED announced upcoming changes to several Federal Student Aid (FSA) systems to support the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility for eligible workforce programs and revised limits on federal student loans enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). 

• SAVE Student Loan Repayment Plan Terminated under Court Order: On March 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that a lower court wrongly dismissed a lawsuit against the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. This ushered the district court to enter a settlement agreement that permanently bans the plan. 

• Secretary of Labor completes 50-state ‘America at Work’ Tour: On March 9, U.S. Secretary of Labor Chavez-DeRemer completed her “America at Work” listening tour. Over the course of the year, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer met with workers and employers in all 50 states to bring their stories back to Washington and shape federal labor policies and practices.