Congress Prepares for Fiscal Year 2027
This week, Congress continued to prepare for the President’s budget request, likely to be released later this month, formally beginning the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations process. As this process gets underway, co-Chairs of the House Career Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) have begun to circulate a “Dear Colleague Letter” highlighting the importance of investing in CTE through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) and requests a strengthened investment that keeps pace with actual needs and learner demand. As previously reported, the window for member requests in the House closes today, underscoring the need for timely circulation of the letter by House CTE Caucus champions.
Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a greater investment in CTE as the FY27 process moves forward this year.
ACTION ALERT: Click here to encourage your representatives to sign on to the Dear Colleague Letter seeking greater federal investment in high-quality CTE.
Trump Administration Proposes Significant New Regulatory Requirements for Federal Grantees
Recently, the General Services Administration (GSA) proposed adding three new certification requirements for all entities registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)– the federal database used to apply for or receive federal funding. If finalized, the proposal would require grantees to certify compliance with a range of Presidential Executive Orders and recent federal guidance before receiving funding. The public comment period for the proposed collection closes on March 30, 2026.
Advance CTE is analyzing the implications of this proposal on current and prospective CTE grantees as part of this regulatory comment period.
DOL Issues Guidance for Registered Apprenticeship
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a series of new guidance documents intended to improve flexibility, reduce burdens for program sponsors, promote consistency, elevate program standards, and increase transparency. It is part of the administration’s wider efforts to advance President Trump’s executive order and talent strategy, which set a goal of one million apprentices. Through a series of circulars and one bulletin, the guidance updates training approach standards, clarifies agencies’ roles, and establishes a methodology for calculating completion rates. Read more about the apprenticeship guidance here.
This week, DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrapped up the “America at Work” listening tour. Recurring themes in these conversations were skilled-worker shortages, interest in apprenticeships, and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs and the wider economy. Read more about the listening tour here.
Inspector General Outlines Department Management Challenges for FY26
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its annual report on the Fiscal Year 2026 Top Management and Performance Challenges at the department. The report identifies four priority areas in which ED faces significant risk amid a period of substantial change: oversight of student financial assistance; implementation of new statutory requirements, including Workforce Pell; data quality and integrity; and information technology security.
The report also highlights ongoing challenges at the department regarding its use of interagency agreements (IAAs) over the last year saying, in part, “…this substantial change in operations, whereby two partner agencies will now be responsible for carrying out and coordinating on activities related to grantee oversight and monitoring that were previously performed by just one agency—coupled with the significant loss of staff at the Department over the past year and the elimination of certain subcomponents that provided program offices with monitoring and technical assistance support—is likely to present its own set of challenges.”
In related news, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a formal investigation into the interagency agreements (IAAs), including the transfer of Perkins V and adult education administration from the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) at ED to DOL. The letter expresses concerns about funding delays, administrative inefficiencies, and reduced technical assistance to states. Many of these concerns are echoed in the OIG report. Read the letter here.
As the GAO determines next steps, Advance CTE will continue to closely monitor the impact of these actions on state CTE systems.
