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Category: Higher Education

ED Unveils Pell Dual Enrollment Pilot Program

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The Department of Education unveiled its plan to allow dual enrollments in the Pell grant program today. The plan, which would take place in the 2016-2017 school year, would allow high school students, who are Pell-eligible, to pay for and enroll in college classes using Pell Grant funds.

At a cost of $20 million, this latest experimental site will benefit up to 10,000 low-income students who will be able to enroll in college coursework while still moving through high school. Dual enrollment and early college programs have been shown to boost high school grades and college persistence and graduation rates. However, most students cover the tuition out-of-pocket at nearly half of colleges that offer dual enrollment.

ED will publish a notice in the Federal Register next week inviting colleges, in partnership with public secondary schools or local education agencies, to apply to participate.

Read the Department of Ed’s blog post about the program here. 

More Movement on Appropriations

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The House and Senate will continue to work on fiscal year 2017 funding bills next week. Both the House and Senate are expected to take up, very different, Zika funding packages next week.  While the Senate will likely to vote to accept a $1.1 billion emergency package, the House plans to vote on a bill that provides less than that but the exact amount the House is willing to provide is not yet clear. Additionally, the House bill will include off-sets and will only provide funding through Sept. 30, the end of FY 2016, unlike the Senate package.  The House has announced that the FY 2017 Labor-H package will include Zika funding. 

Next week, the full House Appropriations Committee markup of the FY 2017 Defense and Legislative Branch appropriations bills, while the respective subcommittees will mark up the FY 2017 CJS and T-HUD bills.  The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up the FY 2017 Ag and Legislative Branch bills.

Energy & Water Moves Forward with a Veto Threat

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Last night, the House Appropriations Committee cleared its FY 2017 Energy & Water Appropriations legislation by voice vote, clearing the measure for Floor consideration. The bill includes $37.4 billion for the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and other agencies and programs.

House Democrats and Republicans sparred over language in the bill dealing with firearms on Army Corps of Engineers lands and Obama administration clean water regulations. The panel turned back Democratic amendments that would have struck a cluster of Republican policy provisions and provide emergency aid for Flint, MI.

The Senate passed its version of the FY 2017 measure last week in both subcommittee and full committee. Meanwhile, as the Senate is considering the measure on the Floor, the Administration has issued a  Statement of Administration Policy containing a veto threat of the measure if it should pass in its current form.

The SAP outlines a number of issues the administration has with the bill, including low funding for energy research and development and “the inclusion of problematic ideological provisions that are beyond the scope of funding legislation.” The OMB statement refers specifically to a policy rider in the bill that would bar changes by the administration to the definition of “fill material” or “discharge of fill material” as it relates to the Clean Water Act (PL 95-217). Republicans fear such action could harm coal and mining activities.

Regarding Energy research funding, the SAP specifically says:

“The bill underfunds critical energy research and development activities and fails to put us on an achievable path toward doubling clean energy research and development by FY 2021. Specifically, the Administration objects to the low funding levels provided for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Reductions in both of these programs significantly below the FY 2017 Budget request would undermine critical activities that support the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies. At this funding level, the number of research, development, and demonstration projects supported in cooperation with industry, universities, and the national labs would be reduced, limiting innovation and technological advancement. Funding at this level also would impede development of solutions to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and reduce energy waste, and undermine the Nation’s competitiveness in the future global clean energy economy.”

Read the SAP here.

Read an overview of the Senate FY 2017 Energy & Water bill here. 

Read and overview of the House FY2017 Energy & Water bill here. 

OSTP Internship

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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Fall Policy Internship Program.  The application deadline is June 17, 2016.  Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be enrolled in, or have just graduated from, an academic program should feel free to apply.

More information and application instructions are available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/about/student.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government.

Interns are accepted for one of three annual terms (Spring, Summer, or Fall), which each last no more than 90 days. The assignments provide educational enrichment, practical work experience, and networking opportunities with other individuals in the science and technology policy arena.

House Clears Aviation Extension, Short-term Relief for FAA Reauth

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On Monday night, the House cleared  a measure that would extend aviation programs through July 15, 2016, giving Congress another three and a half months for the two chambers to seek an agreement on a long-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Procedurally, the House  concurred with a Senate amendment to the short-term extension (HR 4721) the House had passed on March 21. The original House measure extended aviation programs through July 15, 2016, but  included revenue-raising provisions through March 31, 2017. On March 17, the Senate amended HR 4721 to extend both aviation programs and revenue provisions through July 15 of this year.

The current authorization FAA reauthorization is set to expire March 31. Enacting this extension gives Congress over three months to reach a long-term agreement literally just before lawmakers leave for the presidential nominating conventions and the August recess.

Already the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved HR 4441 a six-year, $69 billion measure in February and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has marked up S 2658, a $33.1 billion bill that would authorize the programs through FY 2017 in March.