Washington Watch

Washington Watch: Discussing the challenges caused by COVID-19

In a virtual roundtable discussion Wednesday with higher education association leaders, Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Illinois) heard about the many challenges that community colleges are confronting due to the pandemic, as well as issues arising from…


Washington Watch: Apply for CARES Act grants by August 1

Colleges have until August 1 to apply for grants through the CARES Act’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).   After that deadline, the U.S. Education Department (ED) has announced that it plans to “recalculate…


Washington Watch: DACA stays

In a huge and unanticipated win for Dreamers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Trump administration failed to comply with administrative legal requirements when it rescinded the Deferred…




Washington Watch: More confusion on CARES Act grants

The Education Department (ED) again has added and altered the information it has provided to higher edcuation institutions about implementing CARES Act student emergency grants.  The May 21 communication came as a shock and has…


Higher ed groups launch Dreamers website

Fifteen higher education organizations, including the American Association of Community Colleges, have joined together to launch the Remember the Dreamers website under the leadership of the American Council on Education. The site is the latest…


Washington Watch: Push to bolster higher ed funding

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is working on a bipartisan effort to ensure that forthcoming stimulus legislation includes the association’s request for $47 billion in support to respond to COVID-19.   The effort…


Washington Watch: A look at ED’s final Title IX regs

The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Wednesday released its long-awaited final regulations on sexual assaults. The regulation is scheduled to take effect on August 14, but that implementation date is uncertain as the regulations are…