HOUSE and SENATE

The House passed a modified version of the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act (H.R.5363) by a 319 to 96 vote, which the Senate subsequently passed by unanimous consent. The bill would permanently extend mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and require the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to automatically share tax information with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for the purpose of establishing aid eligibility, recertifying income-driven repayment, and verification related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The House Committee on Financial Services passed the Protecting Your Credit Score Act of 2019 (H.R. 5332) by a 31-24 vote, Student Borrower Protections Act (H.R. 5294) by a 32-26 vote, Fair Student Loan Debt Collection Practices Act (H.R. 5287) by a 32-24 vote, and Private Loan Disability Discharge Act of 2019 (H.R. 4545) by a 32-25 vote.

The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (S.1790) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 by a 377 to 48 vote.

ADMINISTRATION

ED published its proposed TEACH Grant and Faith-Based Institution regulations.

ED announced a new methodology to calculate the amount of loan relief students with successful Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR) claims should receive.

The President signed an Executive Order which broadens the definition of anti-Semitism that Federal agencies, including ED may consider using when evaluating discrimination complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

In a letter to the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), ED identified several new compliance concerns over how ACICS monitors and oversees the institutions of higher education it accredits.
The University of California was sued over its use of the SAT and ACT in its admissions process.

The Department of Justice reached a settlement agreement with the National Association for College Admission Counseling regarding the Association’s member admissions and recruitment policies.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with a summary of the following event next week:

• December 18: House Education and Labor Subcommittee hearing “The Future of Work: Ensuring Workers are Competitive in a Rapidly Changing Economy” at 10:15 a.m.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 

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