HOUSE and SENATE

The House and Senate are in recess. The Senate will return the week of May 4.

House leadership announced that it will not return to session the week of May 4, as originally planned.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced $307.5 million in discretionary grants funds through the Education Stabilization Fund created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L.116-136). The funding comes from the 1 percent set-aside within the Education Stabilization Fund for ED to provide relief to States that have been most highly affected by COVID-19. ED is dividing the funds into two grant competitions: $180 million for the Rethink K-12 School Models Grant competition; and $127.5 million for the Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grant competition.

ED announced the availability of $1.04 billion in funding for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and $349 million for institutions of higher education (IHEs) with the greatest unmet need through the Education Stabilization Fund.

ED sent its recommendations for new waiver authority, as was required of ED under the CARES Act. ED recommended additional waiver authorities under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. ED did not recommend any additional waiver authorities under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Congress would have to enact new legislation to provide this waiver authority to ED.

ED approved Massachusetts to participate in the Innovative Assessments pilot program for the 2020-2021 school year.

The U.S. District Court for Connecticut ruled that the State of Connecticut’s demands for records from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a student loan servicer under contract with ED, is preempted by Federal law.

ED was sued for continuing to garnish the wages of Federal student loan borrowers behind on payments despite the CARES Act requiring the suspension of such activities through September 30.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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