Trump Administration Proposes to Eliminate Postsecondary CTE
Late last Friday, the Trump administration released its budget request to Congress for the upcoming 2027 federal fiscal year (FY27). The proposal variously indicates that the administration is proposing to cut the U.S. Department of Education (ED) by roughly 3-4% and an even more significant cut to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) budget of approximately 26% under currently enacted levels of investment.
Notably for the Career Technical Education (CTE) community, the administration’s request proposes to maintain existing funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act’s (Perkins V) formula state grant program while seeking to wholly eliminate federal support for postsecondary CTE. The request says, in part, “The FY 2027 Budget advances America’s Talent Strategy by aligning education and workforce needs and seeks to reprioritize CTE State Grants exclusively for districts to support middle and high school students.” This is the second year in a row the Trump administration has formally made this proposal and comes as ED formally proclaimed April as National Community College Month.
In addition, the FY27 request formally calls for the codification of the Perkins V and adult basic education program’s Interagency Agreement (IAA) and is seeking an additional nearly $9 million in administrative costs, along with the hiring of 26 full-time staff, to help manage this envisioned transition. While the IAA covers both Perkins V and adult basic education programs, the request proposes to eliminate all funding for the latter program.
Beyond these elements of the proposal, both ED and DOL’s budgets again propose newly created state-level block grant programs– Make Education Great Again (MEGA) and Make America Skilled Again (MASA)– that would consolidate or otherwise eliminate dozens of education and workforce development programs. Importantly, the proposed levels of investment for both MEGA and MASA fall well below currently enacted levels of funding authorized by Congress earlier this year.
Much of this request is similar to the administration’s FY26 budget proposal, which was largely rejected by Congress a few months ago. As the FY27 process continues to get underway, Advance CTE will be closely monitoring these developments and will advocate for federal investments that support CTE learners across the full education-to-career preparation continuum, spanning both the secondary and postsecondary levels.
FY27 Efforts Continue in the Senate
Congress remains in recess this week, with elected officials scheduled to be back in their home states for a scheduled work period. Ahead of recess, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) began to circulate a “Dear Colleague Letter” calling for increased investment in Perkins V’s State Grant program in the upcoming FY27 budget and appropriations process. The letter is addressed to the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Shelley Capito (R-WV) and Ranking Member Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The letter echoes the House’s dear colleague letter, highlighting the critical role CTE plays in preparing learners for careers through the development of technical and durable skills. As a reminder, the deadline for Senate member requests is April 21. We encourage the CTE community to let your Senators know about this letter and to ask them to sign on via the link below:
As previously reported, the House member request period ahead of appropriations closed last month, during which CTE Caucus co-Chairs, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) submitted a “Dear Colleague Letter” with 57 signatures from policymakers on both sides of the aisle.
Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a greater investment in CTE as the FY27 process moves forward.
House Reintroduces Workforce Legislation Reauthorization
This week, House Republicans reintroduced a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) known as the A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA) of 2026. Among its proposed changes to current law, the bill proposes to codify the adult education component of one of 10 different IAAs that have been signed between ED and various other federal agencies. This aspect of ASWA 2026 has been the center of intense partisan disagreement and has made it more difficult for the legislation to secure the same broad bipartisan support for the legislation had in the last Congress. Aside from codifying the IAA, the text of the bill hews relatively closely to the legislative text that was nearly passed in December of 2024. A summary of the introduced legislation can be found here. It is widely expected that the legislation, along with related workforce legislation, will be further considered by the committee in the coming weeks.
Workforce Pell Comment Period Closes
Last week, the public comment period on the proposed Workforce Pell (WFP) rules on the public register closed for comment. Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) joined efforts to submit comments outlining recommendations from the CTE community regarding these regulations. Click here to read the full comment.
Advance CTE will continue to advocate on behalf of the CTE community regarding Workforce Pell as it begins to be implemented later this year– formally slated to start on July 1, 2026.
Combined Planning Guidance Issued
In the last few weeks, the Trump administration issued additional guidance promoting Combined State Plans (CSP) through a Department of Education program memo and later shared through a Training and Employment Notice (TEN) through DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The effort calls for states to consider including Perkins V within WIOA combined state plan efforts as part of the ongoing plan modification period. Combined state plans inclusive of Perkins V have continued to be a key Trump Administration priority shared between both ED and DOL. Access the TEN here.
National Science Foundation and DOL Focus on AI
In the last few weeks, federal agencies have accelerated efforts to address the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the workforce. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced a new initiative aimed at building AI readiness across the American workforce, with a focus on expanding access to training and education. This initiative is supported through additional collaboration with the Department of Labor. Elsewhere, DOL is exploring the intersection of AI and Registered Apprenticeships, highlighting opportunities to modernize training models and better prepare workers for technology-driven industries through a new national contractor solicitation.
Odds & Ends
- Advance CTE and ACTE submitted comments in response to the General Services Administration (GSA) proposal outlining new certification requirements for federal grantees. Read the comments here.
- The ED Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) released estimated FY26 Perkins allocations, providing clarity on expected federal investments in CTE through the Perkins V Title I State Grant program. Read the memo here.
- Advance CTE and ACTE submitted comments responding to the opening of the Comprehensive Centers Program competition supporting financial and economic literacy for learners. Read the comments here.
