June 10, 2026
Even the arrival of summer has not slowed activity in Washington, DC. People are on the move and legislative wrangling continues. Dr. Casey Sacks will replace Nick Moore as acting assistant secretary of career, technical, and adult education at the Department of Education (ED). As a former West Virginia community college president at BridgeValley Community and Technical College, we are hopeful that her experience in the field will serve to remind her of our colleges’ needs and potential contributions to the economy.
Some good news on federal student aid delivery: ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid has announced that the FAFSA will now be processed in real time. Students can see their FAFSA results directly after completion, and they can also be viewed immediately by financial aid administrators in the FAFSA Partner Portal.
For anyone who wants a deeper dive each week into government relations, Washington Watch Weekly is our new AACC publication, available to all members with registration. Today’s monthly government relations webinar at 2:00 p.m. (ET) will address the House Appropriations Committee’s FY 2027 labor and education bill. That legislation includes a $10 million increase to the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program and a $50 increase in the Pell Grant maximum. The new accreditation regulations and Office of Management & Budget regulations on “Uniform Guidance” will also be discussed.
Deadlines for several federal grants are on the horizon. Please share these Department of Labor and Education upcoming dates:
- FY 26 Strengthening Institutions Program competition is open until June 23.
- FY 26 grant competitions for the Basic Needs Grant Program, the Open Textbook Pilot Program, the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program, and the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grant Program are open until June 23.
- FY 26 Postsecondary Student Success Grants competition is open until June 29.
My travels to Illinois last week brought me to a meeting of the Council of Community College Presidents & the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. Although I admit having a special place in my heart for Illinois, the state has some impressive statewide marketing efforts and a robust statewide economic impact report that embodies regional coordination. I encourage you to look at how statewide coordination is advancing Illinois’ goals.
Just yesterday I welcomed some extraordinary students participating in the Community College Innovation Challenge to a reception on Capitol Hill. Students’ posters were inspirational, a constant reminder of the extraordinary talent at our colleges, in addition to tireless faculty mentorship. How fortunate we are to have NSF support for this program.
Enrollment in certificate programs at community colleges continues to show significant growth, increasing 12% this spring compared to last spring, according to a final spring enrollment tally from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That’s a boost of almost 83,000! This dynamic showcases our colleges’ agility in responding to workforce needs in timely ways.