There was a lot of activity this week as Congress prepared to head out of town for the Memorial Day recess. The Department of Education (ED) finalized rules on Workforce Pell implementation and reached a consensus on accreditation rulemaking. Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling also testified this week regarding the Trump Administration’s proposed FY 2027 budget for the Department of Labor (DOL). Read more updates below. 

• ED Issues Final Rule to Create New Workforce Pell Grant Program: On May 18, ED released it’s final rule for the implementation of Workforce Pell. Beginning July 1, eligible students will be able to use Pell Grants for approved high-quality, short-term workforce training programs. Read more on the blog. 

• ED Reaches Consensus on Accreditation Rulemaking: On May 21, ED announced that its accreditation rulemaking committee reached consensus on a number of changes to accreditation regulations. These include making it easier for new accreditors and for institutions to switch accreditors, revising transfer credit policies, requiring accreditors to evaluate whether institutions are maintaining academic freedom protections and prioritizing intellectual diversity. 

• ACTE and Advance CTE Submits Comments on Accountability Framework: On May 20, ACTE and Advance CTE submitted comments to ED regarding the recently enacted postsecondary accountability framework regarding institutional participation and eligibility under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA). 

• ACTE Endorses Several Bills: This week, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce the Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act (S. 4597/H.R. 8937). The bill would address the childcare workforce shortage by investing in CTE programs and incentivizing more students to enter the early childhood workforce upon graduation. Senators Hassan (D-NH), Young (R-IN), Collins (R-ME) and Kaine (D-VA) also reintroduced the Gateway to Careers Act (S. 4578) to help hardworking Americans gain new skills and advance in the workforce and help businesses find the skilled workforce that they need to grow. Finally, the Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act (S. 4567/H.R. 8896) was reintroduced in the House and Senate to modernize and expand teacher loan forgiveness. ACTE has endorsed all of these bills.  

• ED Launches More Grant Programs: ED launched several grant programs this week, including two programs for migrant students and two programs focused on preparing special education teachers and support staff. The Department also launched the Strengthening Institutions Program to help states develop programs for Workforce Pell. This program previously supported grants for minority-serving institutions (MSIs). 

• Labor Secretary Testifies Before Congress: On May 19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing titled, “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Labor.” Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling testified regarding the Administration’s proposed FY 2027 funding levels and policy priorities for DOL. A full recording of the hearing can be found here, as well as more information on our blog.   

• Deadline for Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award Approaching: The deadline to submit a nomination for the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award is on May 31. The award recognizes two outstanding cybersecurity teachers from across the nation. 

• Acting Assistant Secretary for OCTAE Announces Departure: On May 20, Nick Moore, the Acting Assistant Secretary for ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) and Deputy Assistant Secretary at DOL, announced his departure from the federal government. Dr. Casey Sacks, the Chief Financial Officer at ED who also served in OCTAE during the first Trump Administration, will be assuming the duties of Acting Assistant Secretary.  

• New OCTAE Website: ED combined the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) website with the Department’s adult education website to form a new consolidated website for the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education. 

• 24 States Sue Over Loan Limits on Healthcare Degrees: On May 19, a coalition of 24 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a rule that limits access to federal student loans for borrowers earning a graduate degree in several healthcare-related fields. 

• HELP Committee Chair Loses Re-Election Bid in Primary: Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, lost his bid for re-election in the Louisiana primary on May 16. It is unclear who will succeed him as education committee chair when he leaves the Senate.  

• ED Approves More Federal Funding Waivers for States: On May 19, ED announced that it was approving additional federal funding waivers for Florida, Illinois and Louisiana to allow for more flexibility in how they allocate funds. The Department also released guidance encouraging states to take advantage of current funding flexibilities in the law. 

• Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Charter Schools: On May 20, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing titled, “Meeting the Individual Needs of All Students: The Role of Charter Schools.” A full recording can be found here.  

• NAGB to Restore Previously Cut NAEP Exams: The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), announced that it was restoring several NAEP exams that it had previously cut last year, including 12th grade reading and math exams in 2032. 

• Surgeon General’s Office Issues Warning on Screen Time for Children: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a U.S. surgeon general’s advisory urging families, schools, and providers to reduce children’s screen time.  

• DOL Releases Guidance on Federal Funds for Marketing: On May 19, the Department of Labor released a Training and Employment Guidance Letter, Clarifying Allowable Outreach Activities for Federal Formula and Competitive Grants. The guidance clarifies the allowable uses of funds under WIOA and Perkins for outreach activities and program marketing.