This week the White House released the second part of the Build Back Better proposal, the American Families Plan. Read below to learn about how education is included in the plan, as well as hearings in Congress that addressed workforce development and community colleges.
Biden Releases American Families Plan With Education Resources
On Wednesday the White House released an overview of its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. This is the second part of the administration’s Build Back Better campaign (the first part, the American Jobs Plan, was shared at the beginning of April). The American Families Plan focuses on investing in education from early childhood to postsecondary, supporting children and families through avenues such as childcare and paid leave and extend tax cuts for lower and middle income workers and families. Overall, this proposal includes about $731 billion in education funding. Some of the investments include:
- $109 billion for two years of tuition-free community college for each learner. Individuals can use this benefit over the course of three years. If all states, territories and Tribes participate it will mean that about 5.5 million students will pay $0 in community college tuition and fees.
- $80 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by up to $1,400, which is a 21% increase over the current maximum award. This plan also allows DREAMers access to Pell Grants.
- $62 billion for evidence-based strategies that increase retention and completion rates at community colleges and institutions that serve high numbers of low-income students. Through this, states, territories and Tribes will receive grants that colleges can use to implement innovative and proven solutions for student success- including wraparound services, emergency basic needs grants, practices that recruit and retain diverse faculty, transfer agreements between colleges and evidence-based remediation programs.
- $46 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCUs). This would include $39 billion to provide two years of subsidized tuition for students enrolled at a four year HBCU, MSI or TCU whose family earns less than $125,000. The proposal also calls for $5 billion to expand programs in high-demand fields.
- $9 billion to train, equip and diversify the teacher workforce. This would be done by doubling the scholarships for future teachers from $4,000 to $8,000 annually while earning their degree. It also would put $2.8 billion into Grow Your Own programs and year-long paid teacher residencies, as well as designating $400 million for teacher preparation programs at HBCUs, TCUs and MSIs and $900 million for the development of special education teachers. President Biden also proposed $1.6 billion to provide educators with opportunities to earn additional certifications in high-demand areas. Lastly, $2 billion would go to educator leadership.
Advance CTE’s statement on the American Families Plan can be found here. The full fact sheet on the American Families Plan can be found here.
Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on COVID-19 Recovery
Written by Michael Matthews, Government Relations Manager, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Full post can be found here.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled “COVID-19 Recovery: Supporting Workers and Modernizing the Workforce Through Quality Education, Training, and Employment Opportunities.” The witnesses for the hearing included Maria Flynn, president and CEO of Jobs For the Future; Deniece Thomas, deputy commissioner of workforce learning and development in the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Scott Ralls, president of Wake Technical Community College; and Alejandro Mendoza, human resources director at Optimax Systems Inc.
Overall, both parties agreed on the need for bipartisan proposals to provide increased funding and attention to our nation’s workforce programs. The witnesses and Committee members spent the hearing talking about the need to expand skills-based education and training opportunities, like finding ways to expand access to apprenticeships; providing better support and wraparound services to ensure program completion and success; preparing workers for the STEM workforce; reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and extending Pell Grant eligibility to students who attend high-quality short-term programs at community colleges and public institutions, among others.
House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds hearing on Increasing Investments in Community Colleges
Written by Michael Matthews, Government Relations Manager, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Full post can be found here.
Last week the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on increasing investments in Community Colleges. The witnesses for the hearing included Dr. Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges; Dr. Mary Alice McCarthy, director, Center on Education and Labor from New America; Dr. William T. Brown, the chief executive officer of Gateway Community College; and Kelli Jordan, Director, IBM Career Skills and Performance.
The hearing covered a broad range of issues facing community colleges and their students, such as childcare, broadband access, equity, dual enrollment, college transfers and job training, including apprenticeships. Much of the conversation addressed how community colleges can help in post-Covid economic and workforce development, with both sides generally agreeing that more investments are necessary.
In her opening statement, Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) affirmed that “we need to invest in these institutions, build the architecture of the future at the federal, as well as local levels. Our community colleges are the backbone of our education system. It is crucial that we provide them with–and their students–with the funding and the resources needed to build a brighter and a more prosperous future for all Americans.” Likewise, in his opening statement, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), who was filling in for Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK), stated that “community colleges have proven they can adapt to a changing environment meeting students where they are, working with local businesses to develop programs that lead to good paying, sustainable jobs,” when discussing their importance in our nation’s economic recovery. More specifically, the economic and workforce development programs discussed included the Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG) program; expanding apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, and expanding Pell eligibility to high-quality short-term job training programs.
Meredith Hills, Senior Associate for Federal Policy