HOUSE and SENATE

The House and Senate are both in recess and will return the week of September 9th.

The Senate passed legislation embodying the deal (H.R. 3877) to raise the U.S.’s debt limit and increase the budget caps for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2020 and 2021 on a 67 to 28 vote.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced the nominations of Sharon Fast Gustafson to serve as General Counsel for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Charlotte Burrows to serve as a Commissioner on the EEOC.

The Senate confirmed Mark Schultz as the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration on a voice vote.

ADMINISTRATION

A Federal judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has the ability to stop contracting with private student loan debt collectors as part of its Next Generation Processing and Servicing Environment (NextGen) initiative overhauling the student loan servicing system.

ED said that it has begun a new review into the financial stability of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).

ED is still reviewing California’s plan to come into compliance with the Obama-era State Authorization rule. Currently, public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education (IHEs) located outside of California that enroll California residents are out of compliance with the rule because the State does not have a complaint process that applies to an out-of-State IHE providing distance education, or participate in an appropriate reciprocity agreement, to students in California.

Career Education Corporation, an operator of for-profit IHEs, disclosed that it reached a preliminary settlement of $30 million with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) related to its marketing practices.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information.