With Congress out of session until November, much of this week’s activity took place within federal agencies. The Education Department (ED) released a toolkit to support adult learners in dual enrollment and announced additional funding for TRIO grantees. ED also extended the deadline for postsecondary institutions to submit Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment data. Read more updates below.  

• ED Releases Toolkit to Support Adult Learners in Dual Enrollment: ED recently released a toolkit for colleges supporting adult learners in dual enrollment courses through Ability to Benefit (ATB). ATB allows adults without a high school diploma to receive federal student aid and enroll in an eligible program to earn their high school diploma and a postsecondary credential simultaneously.  

• NSF Announces Grant Funding for Two-year STEM College Programs: The National Science Foundation recent launched its Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Grant program. The program provides funding to support innovation and student success in STEM programs at two-year colleges, including technical college STEM pathways. Applications are due December 9. 

• ED Extends Deadline for FVT/GE Data: On Oct. 8, ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that it was extending the deadline for colleges to submit Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) data to Jan. 15, 2027. FSA also announced that it was providing additional trainings to assist institutions in reporting the data.  

• ED Announces Additional Funding for TRIO Grantees: ED announced an additional $39 million in federal college-access funding, bringing the total awarded for two TRIO programs this year to more than $225 million.  

• Office of the Inspector General Evaluates ED IAA With DOL: The Office of the Inspector General at ED will evaluate the agency’s execution, monitoring and management of its interagency agreement (IAA) with the Department of Labor (DOL) in regard to higher education programs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) requested this investigation. 

• Rep. Bonamici Joins Race for Top Democrat Position in House Education and Workforce Committee: Rep. Bonamici (D-OR), co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, officially declared she will run to be the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee in a Dear Colleague letter sent to members of the Democratic caucus on Oct. 6. To read more on potential committee leadership changes, read our blog post.  

• Build America Caucus Announces National Agenda: On Oct. 5, the Build America Caucus—a bipartisan group focused on various policy areas— announced a new national set of priorities. Related to education and workforce policy, the caucus supports expanding workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as assisting schools to adopt AI.  

• House Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Make Community College Tuition-Free for Eligible Students: The America’s College Promise Act of 2026 was reintroduced by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, along with other House Democrats. This bill was previously introduced in 2024 and would create a partnership between the federal government and states to waive tuition and fees for two years of community and technical college programs for eligible students.  

• ED and DOJ Issue Letter to States on Parental Rights: On Oct. 5, ED and the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to state attorneys general on parental rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). 

• Lawsuits Challenge Pocket Recission Funding Cancellation: On Sept. 30, before the fiscal year ended, six states went to federal court to challenge the president’s use of a pocket rescission to cancel $810 million in congressionally approved federal funding.  

• Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Support Restricting Student Cellphone Use: Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the UNPLUGGED Schools Grants Act, which would establish a federal grant program for states that adopt policies prohibiting students from possessing and using their personal electronic devices during the school day.