E-Update for July 07, 2017

Highlights:

• Congress was on recess this week and will be back in session on Monday, July 10.
• On July 5, a letter by Ivanka Trump to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) was published in support of the Administration’s paid family leave proposal.
• On July 6, 18 states and the District of Columbia sued U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary Betsy DeVos regarding her decision to delay the Borrower Defense.

Every Student Succeeds Act:

USED Posts Feedback on Five ESSA Consolidated State Plans: This week, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) posted feedback on ESSA consolidated state plans for Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey, Oregon, and Tennessee. USED plans to provide feedback on the remaining nine state plans in the coming weeks.

Congress:

House:

Chairwoman Black Discusses Budget Priorities on Fox News: Chairwoman of the House Budget Committee Diane Black (R-TN) spoke to Fox News about her budget priorities, including tax reform and cutting mandatory spending to reduce the country’s debt. Chairwoman Black has also said this week that she is hoping a budget resolution will be considered by the Committee as early as next week. The press release and interview are available here.
July 5, 2017

Members of Congressional Black Caucus Send Letter to USED Secretary DeVos on Upward Bound Funding for HBCUs: Members of the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to USED Secretary Betsy DeVos regarding their concerns that Upward Bound funding was disproportionately denied to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the most recent grant cycle. In the letter, the members ask the Department to explain the disproportionate funding and to support institutions that did not receive funding in applying for funds in the next grant cycle.
June 27, 2017

Administration:

White House:

Ivanka Trump Defends the Administration’s Paid Family Leave Proposal: A letter by Ivanka Trump to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) was published as her response to a prior WSJ editorial that offered a critique of the Administration’s paid family leave proposal. In the response, titled “Ivanka Trump Replies on Paid Family Leave,” Ivanka Trump describes the benefits of the Administration’s paid family leave proposal outlined in the FY2018 President’s budget request, emphasizing the benefits for women. The press release can be found here.
July 5, 2017

U.S. Department of Education:

Several States Sue USED Secretary DeVos Over Borrower Defense Regulations Delay: 18 states and the District of Columbia sued USED Secretary Betsy DeVos regarding her decision to delay the Borrower Defense regulations that were developed under the Obama Administration. The regulations protect student borrowers from misleading and predatory practices by higher education institutions and clarify a process for loan forgiveness in cases of institutional misconduct. This complaint asks the court to declare the Department’s delay notice unlawful and to order the Department to implement the rule.
July 6, 2017

Office of Federal Student Aid Makes Announcement on Disclosure for Student Financial Accounts: USED’s office of Federal Student Aid announced that the Department will delay a requirement for postsecondary institutions to disclose the fees associated with school-sponsored debit cards and financial products. The compliance date will now be January 1, 2017, in part because of USED’s delay in posting the final suggested disclosure format for student financial accounts.
July 3, 2017

USED Provides Additional Time for Compliance with Gainful Employment Regulations: USED Secretary DeVos announced the Department’s decision to provide additional time, until July 1, 2018, for institutions to comply with Gainful Employment regulations that were developed under the Obama Administration. In a statement regarding the decision, USED Secretary DeVos asserted that there is a need for a “regulatory reset” and that the current regulations “would unfairly and arbitrarily limit students’ ability to pursue certain types of higher education and career training programs.” USED plans to undergo negotiated rulemaking to develop new regulations.
June 30, 2017

Upcoming Events:

• On July 10, USED’s Office of Postsecondary Education will hold a meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee to discuss proposed regulations for Federal Student Aid programs under the Higher Education Act at 9:00 am.
• On July 12, the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus and CNA will hold a briefing titled, “Supporting Successful Reentry through CTE” at 1:30 pm. More information can be found here.
• On July 12, U.S Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will speak at the closing session of the School Nutrition Association’s annual conference at 8:30 am.
• On July 13, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education will hold a hearing titled, “Opportunities for State Leadership of Early Childhood Programs” at 10:00 am. More information is available here.