CONGRESS

Incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) defeated challenger Herschel Walker in a runoff election.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced that she will leave the Democrat Party and will no longer caucus with the Democrats in the U.S. Senate.

Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) announced that he will run against Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) received a waiver from the House Republican Steering Committee to be considered for the role of Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee.

A bicameral group of Democrats wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on institutions of higher educations’ arrangements with online program managers (OPM).

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on how institutions of higher education present financial aid information to students.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released guidance on the previously announced “Fresh Start” initiative to guaranty agencies.

ED announced that it is disbanding the National Parents and Families Engagement Council.

The Biden Administration launched a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiative with the aim of “strengthening STEM education nationwide.”

THE COURTS

The Biden Administration asked the Supreme Court of the United States to consider U.S. Department of Education et al. v. Myra Brown et al. along with Biden v. Nebraska for which oral arguments are set to be heard in February. Both cases pertain to the Biden Administration’s Federal student loan forgiveness program.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans on providing clients a summary of the following events next week:

December 13: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee Hearing on, “Ensuring Solutions to Meet America’s Broadband Needs.”

December 14: House Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee Hearing on, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Corporation for National and Community Service”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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