House Extends Deadline, Senate Issues Guidance for FY27 Requests
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) extended its deadline to Friday, March 27, for lawmakers to submit programmatic and language requests for fiscal year (FY) 2027. This extension offers additional opportunity for House members to sign on to the “Dear Colleague Letter” circulated by the CTE Caucus co-Chairs, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), calling for an increased investment in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) to meet growing learner demand. The Subcommittee also released updated guidance for members seeking to submit written testimony for consideration during FY27 deliberations.
ACTION ALERT: Click here to encourage your representatives to sign on to the Dear Colleague Letter seeking greater federal investment in high-quality CTE.
On the other side of the Hill, the Senate Appropriations Committee issued its own guidance ahead of FY27, including programmatic and earmark submissions and a deadline of April 21 for the Labor-H appropriations subcommittee. Both chambers of Congress are awaiting the President’s budget request later this month, as previously reported.
Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a greater investment in Career Technical Education (CTE) as the FY27 process moves forward.
Education and Treasury Announce Federal Student Assistance Partnership
Yesterday, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Treasury announced a new Interagency Agreement (IAA) impacting the administration of federal student aid programs, the ninth such IAA since the start of the second Trump administration. Under this additional IAA, the Treasury Department will assume operational responsibility for collecting payments on defaulted federal student loans. The announcement outlines how the Treasury Department may expand on this role in the future. Read the full announcement here.
TRIO Grants Announced With New Focus
On Tuesday, ED and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the first higher education grant competition administered in the context of an administrative framework created by several IAAs that directs ED to reimburse DOL for fulfilling the day-to-day administrative obligations of certain covered programs. The grant competition is under the Talent Search Program authorized through the Federal TRIO Program, a federal assistance program for low-income and first-generation learners to prepare for and enroll in postsecondary education through academic advising, career exploration, and financial aid guidance. The announcement includes a “Dear Colleague Letter” that reinforces the administration’s priority to align new grantmaking efforts under IAAs with the payment and grant management systems at DOL.
Significantly, the new grant competition marks a significant departure for the TRIO program, redirecting its priorities toward workforce training as a pathway distinct from two- and four-year degree options. The competition also encourages grantees to consider using these resources to build the data infrastructure needed for the upcoming implementation of Workforce Pell.
Advance CTE will continue to monitor these developments closely. The full grant application details can be found here.
Department of Labor Issues Updated PRWORA Guidance
On Wednesday, DOL issued updated guidance related to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) formally rescinds prior guidance issued last year related to work authorization verification requirements for participants in federally funded workforce programs.
A similar directive was issued by ED last year at the same time, in response to an earlier Executive Order from President Trump. To date, ED has not provided a response to the many questions that remain pending regarding these new requirements related to PRWORA, particularly as they intersect with the implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V).
The DOL rescinded guidance had originally outlined verification requirements for participants in programs authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Read the TEGL here.
Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Strengthen Cybersecurity Education
Last week, CTE Caucus co-Chairs Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act. This bipartisan bill aims to expand cybersecurity education in CTE programs and establish a competitive grant pilot program to support the integration of cybersecurity training into existing CTE curricula. The legislation focuses particularly on critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, healthcare, and telecommunications, and directs ED to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to administer grants, reflecting a cross-agency approach to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce.
Advance CTE executive director Kate Kreamer added, “Our organization is proud to endorse the reintroduction of the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act by Representatives Thompson and Bonamici, reflecting the shared commitment to building educational opportunity for a workforce that is both highly skilled and nationally secure.” Read the full quote in the press release here.
