Mar 7: The Senate Budget Committee also marked up their version of the FY09 budget resolution this week. Visit the committee online to view the markup or to read summary documents.
Mar 5: The House Budget Committee held a markup today on the FY09 budget resolution, a non-binding blueprint used by appropriators to determine federal spending. Check out a summary of the chairman's mark (from Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-SC). The chairman's mark restores the $4 billion cut from education programs in the President's budget. After both chambers pass a budget resolution, the next step is for appropriators to determine overall funding levels for each federal department. The Senate Budget Committee will also markup its resolution this week, with floor debate scheduled for next week.
Feb 27: The Department of Education has announced the opening of the FY08 grant competition for the International Research and Studies Program. Visit the Federal Register online for details. Deadline for applications is April 7.
Feb 8: The House of Representatives approved the HEA reauthorization bill (HR 4137) yesterday by a vote of 354 to 58. See how your Representative voted.
Feb 7: Visit the Rules Committee online to see a list of approved amendments that will be debated today as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HR 4137).
Feb 6: The Higher Education Act reauthorization bill (HR 4137) is scheduled for floor debate in the House tomorrow, February 7. Visit the House Education & Labor Committee to read a summary of the bill, and visit the House Rules Committee to see a list of submitted amendments, including the "managers amendment" from Congressman George Miller (D-CA), education committee chairman. The Rules Committee meets this evening at 5:00 pm to determine which of the submitted amendments will be approved for floor debate.
2007
Nov 20: The 110th Congress is in recess for the Thanksgiving holiday and will reconvene on December 3 to continue work on the Higher Education Act and fiscal year 2008 appropriations.
Sept 14: The House Committee on Education and Labor higher education subcommittee will hold a field hearing in Pomona, CA on competitiveness in STEM disciplines on Friday, September 21. Visit the committee online to see a witness list and watch a webcast of the hearing.
July 26: Check out highlights from the GAO testimony regarding attracting international students to the US. The GAO prepared testimony for a joint hearing of the House Education & Labor Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 29.
May 7: Secretary Spellings will testify before the House Education & Labor Committee on Thursday, May 10 regarding the Department's oversight of the student loan programs and the Reading First program. Visit the Committee online to view a webcast of the hearing.
May 3: The House education subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifetime Learning and Competitiveness held a hearing on May 1 regarding barriers faced by college-bound students and their families in paying for higher education. Two of the witnesses mentioned the need for counselors better-trained in the financial aid process. NACAC's HEA recommendations submitted to the committee last month include a proposal to improve graduate education for school counselors by including a college counseling component. Visit the committee online to view a webcast of the hearing.
April 24: The House Education & Labor Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow (at 10:00 am) regarding practices in the student loan industry, starring New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Visit the committee online to view a web cast of the hearing. Congressman George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the education committee, has proposed a list of emergency reforms in the student loan industry.
March 14: Undersecretary of Education Sara Martinez Tucker, and Institute for Education Sciences Director Grover Whitehurst testified in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on health, education, and labor regarding FY08 appropriations. Read their testimony here.
March 12: Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will testify today at 2:00 pm in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on health, education, and labor, regarding the Administration's FY08 budget request for those departments. Visit the committee's website to view a webcast of the hearing.
2006
Dec 11: The 109th Congress adjourned for good last week, without finishing the spending bills for the current fiscal year (FY07). Congress passed a continuing resolution, funding the government at FY06 levels until February 15. This is good news for NACAC priority programs, which were funded at higher levels last year than in the House or Senate FY07 appropriations bills. Incoming appropriations chairmen Congressman David Obey (D-WI) and Senator Richard Byrd (D-WV) have announced their intent to extend the CR for a full year, until October 1, 2007, when FY08 begins.
Dec 4: The final session of the 109th Congress convenes this week. Congress will approve a continuing resolution that will expire February 15, leaving the heavy lifting of FY07 funding (the current fiscal year) to the new Congress.
Sept 15: Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs' federal financial management subcommittee. As such, he has sought to identify and publicize funding earmarks received by colleges across the country. On Tuesday, Senator Coburn released the results of a recent query regarding such earmarks. Senator Coburn maintains that in light of rising college costs, students and parents deserve to know whether funds are allocated to colleges "on the basis of merit or political considerations."
Sept 5: The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance will hold a teleconference on Friday, September 15 and a hearing on Tuesday, September 19. Check the Federal Register online for more information on both events.
July 26: The Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 am on No Child Left Behind. Visit the committee online to watch a webcast of the hearing.
July 19: The Democratic Leadership Council announced today the launch of their American Dream Initiative. The initiative would include a $150 billion block grant to states to help control college costs.
June 8: The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance has been charged by the House Education & the Workforce Committee to study the price of textbooks and the impact of price increases on college access and affordability. Read the press release from the advisory committee for more information.
May 22: The Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on private sector proposals to help students pay for college. Visit the committee online to view the webcast.
May 15: The Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on May 18 on No Child Left Behind, and the role of curriculum in student achievement. Visit the committee online to view the webcast or read testimony once it is posted.
April 17: The Education and the Workforce committee's Democrats have launched an online forum on college costs. Students and their families can communicate directly with lawmakers about their concerns regarding college costs.
April 6: The House Committee on Education & the Workforce will hold a hearing today on global competitiveness. Secretary Spellings and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao will both testify. Visit the committee website to view a webcast of the hearing.
Feb 27: The Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing on S 2198, the PACE Act, which focuses on improving US competitiveness in mathematics, science and technology. View a webcast of the hearing here, and read Senator Pete Domenici's (R-NM) statement here.