Congress is continuing to finalize the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) appropriations bills, with an omnibus package expected before next Friday, March 23 in order to avoid a government shutdown. At the same time, Congress is looking to begin the FY19 appropriations process, with Secretary DeVos scheduled to testify on the FY19 Department of Education Budget next week. Read below to learn more about the upcoming hearing, a new brief from the National Skills Coalition and bills related to Career Technical Education (CTE) that were introduced recently.
Secretary DeVos to Testify on FY19 Department of Education Budget
On Tuesday, March 20, the U.S. House of Representatives Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on the President’s FY19 Budget for the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is scheduled to testify during the hearing, which will be webcast on the subcommittee’s website.
New Brief: Putting Pell Grants to Work for Working Students
The National Skills Coalition recently released a new brief, Putting Pell Grants to Work for Working Students. The brief discusses how Pell Grant eligibility could be expanded to include high-quality, short-term programs and “calls for the modernization of our federal financial aid system so that it can truly meet the needs of today’s students and employers. The paper makes the case for this policy change by laying out the evolution of the postsecondary landscape, highlighting favorable outcomes of short-term programs, underscoring the role of sector partnerships in bridging the existing financial aid gap and highlighting the efforts of two states-Iowa and Virginia-to enroll students in programs that will lead to jobs in in-demand industries.”
In Case You Missed It: Gateway to Careers, GIRLS-STEM Act Introduced
On February 8, Senator Hassan (D-NH), along with three co-sponsors introduced the “Gateway to Careers Act.” The bill’s press release highlights that it will, “provide grants to support partnerships between community or technical colleges and workforce development partners such as state workforce boards, industry associations, and community-based organizations.” A one-page summary of the bill can be found here.