Congress has been focusing most of its time on negotiations and political maneuvering related to the upcoming deadline for approving Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. Without final bills or a continuing resolution (CR), the government will shut down after Sept. 30. Meanwhile, the Department of Education (ED) has stayed busy with several announcements. Read more updates below!

• House Passes CR to Keep Government Funded; CR Bills Fail in Senate: Last week, the House passed a CR to extend current funding levels through Nov. 21 to avoid a government shutdown. However, that bill, as well as a different version of the CR put forward by Democrats, were both voted down in the Senate. To avoid a government shutdown, both chambers must pass the same CR before Wednesday at 12 AM. We will be monitoring the situation carefully for impacts on CTE.
• House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth Hearing on School Choice: On Sept. 17, both Republicans and Democrats of the House Oversight Subcommittee discussed alternative non-degree pathways available to learners. Both sides of the aisle agreed on the importance of expanding CTE education linked to career opportunities. Watch the hearing here.
• Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on State of K-12 Education: On Sept. 18, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing with a panel of researchers, state leaders and educators to discuss declining student academic achievement. During the hearing, Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) emphasized the importance of investing in career centers and resources to help each high school graduate become career-ready.
• ED Announces 2025 U. Presidential Scholars: On Sept. 26, ED announced the 161 students who will be recognized as this year’s Presidential Scholars, including 20 scholars in CTE. You can view the full list of scholars here.
• ED Issues Updated Ed-Flex Guidance: On Sept. 17, ED released updated guidance on the Ed-Flex, allowing states to waive certain federal requirements for their local grantees. This aims to help state and local agencies customize education strategies, with flexibility covering parts of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), including Titles I, II-A, IV-A, as well as Perkins. Read more about it here.
• Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-ED) and Katie Britt (R-LA) Introduce the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act: Sens. Blunt-Rochester and Britt introduced a bill that would expand federal resources for community colleges and technical centers to integrate virtual and augmented reality into their training and education programs. ACTE endorsed this bill and you can read the full version here.
• ED Issues New Grant Priorities: Recently, ED has announced a number of new proposed discretionary grant supplemental priorities, including one on career pathways and workforce readiness. Other new proposed priorities include patriotic education and meaningful learning. Feedback on the proposed priorities is open for 30 days. If finalized, these priorities could be used as ED issues a variety of competitive grants.
• 2026-27 FAFSA Opens to All: On Sept. 24, ED announced that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form for students enrolling in postsecondary education during the 2026-27 school year was available, even earlier than required.