A quick look back at the news from last week. Compiled by Penn Hill Group.

HOUSE

The House Education and the Workforce Committee marked up H.R. 2353, the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act,” which the Committee favorably reported to the House, as amended, by voice vote. Committee Republicans and Democrats released statements on their priorities.

House Democrats launched their “Aim Higher” campaign, an effort to improve higher education through a series of bills related to access, affordability and completion.

The House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Empowering Students and Families to Make Informed Decisions on Higher Education” on Wednesday, May 24. Witnesses have yet to be announced.

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on ED’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget on Wednesday, May 24.

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing entitled “Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults to Break the Cycle of Poverty.” The documents and webcast can be found here.

SENATE

Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the College Transparency Act of 2017, which aims to simplify higher education data reporting for institutions and ensure that students and the public have access to accurate information on outcomes and other higher education metrics. The bill would eliminate the current statutory ban in the Higher Education Act (HEA) on a Federal student unit record.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement in opposition to the cuts to ED’s budget that are reportedly included in the Trump Administration’s FY2018 budget proposal.

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to ED Secretary DeVos requesting information about the status of students’ debt-forgiveness claims, which were made under the “borrower defense to repayment” provision of the HEA.

ADMINISTRATION  

The Washington Post is reporting additional details on the Trump Administration’s FY2018 ED budget submission. The Trump Administration’s FY2018 budget proposal is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 23.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report analyzing student loan servicing practices relating to economically vulnerable borrowers as they transition from default into an income-driven repayment plan.

The Government Accountability Office reported that ED did not properly monitor more than $20 million in discretionary grants awarded in 2015.

President Trump delivered the commencement address to Liberty University’s graduating class.

ED announced the final priorities, requirements, definitions and selection criteria under the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy program.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with summaries of the following events next week:

• May 24: House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing: “Empowering Students and Families to Make Informed Decisions on Higher Education”
• May 24: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing: “Department of Education Budget Hearing”