On October 25, CGS joined a community letter addressed to National Science Foundation Director France Cordova encouraging the agency to allocate at least as many fellowships through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program as it did last year.

On October 25, the Coalition for National Science Funding sent a letter to House and Senate appropriations committee leadership urging them to complete the FY 2020 Commerce-Justice-Science bill and to provide the National Science Foundation with at least $8.6 billion.

On October 24, CGS joined an Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research coalition letter addressed to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees urging them to swiftly agree to increasing the LHHS-ED allocation for FY 2020, which would boost funding for the National Institutes of Health.

On October 31, concluding a three-day markup to debate and offer amendments to the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674), the House Education and Labor Committee passed the measure by a vote of 28-22. H.R. 4674 would make comprehensive changes in a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). A summary of certain provisions in the bill was included in the October 25 issue of Washington Insights & Highlights when it was first made available to the public. While CGS has not taken a position on the legislation in its entirety, the association sent a letter to the committee expressing support for some of these provisions that would expand access to graduate education. The association also joined a community letter led by the American Council on Education that further outlines support and concern in response to other aspects of the bill, such as proposed changes to Title IX and institutional accountability.

Additional provisions that were ultimately added to the bill include a reinstatement of subsidized loans for graduate students as well as reauthorization of the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program.

While the committee’s approval of the bill marks a significant step on the path towards HEA reauthorization, it is not yet clear whether its counterpart in the Senate will achieve similar progress in constructing a comprehensive legislative package. CGS will continue to work with both chambers as the process unfolds.

On October 28, CGS submitted a letter to the House Committee on Education and Labor in response to the introduction of the College Affordability Act, which would reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The bill includes measures to expand support for graduate education, including allowing graduate students to allocate remaining semesters of Pell support towards their graduate degree, reinstating subsidized loans for graduate students, and increasing support for HBCUs, HSIs, TCUs, and other MSIs.

On October 15, the House Education and Labor Committee introduced the College Affordability Act, which proposes several changes to federal policy driving the delivery of higher education. “This marks an important step towards reauthorization of the Higher Education Act,” said Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools. “CGS is committed to working with the committee to ensure that the legislation ultimately supports the pipeline of students and the workforce.” 
 

Access, affordability, and quality are three themes the committee has outlined in the framework of the College Affordability Act. Of particular note, the bill includes a provision that allows students to allocate remaining semesters of Pell Grant support from their undergraduate studies towards a graduate degree -- a proposal CGS has long advocated. Additionally, the bill offers strengthened investments for programs and institutions that support students from diverse backgrounds and those historically underrepresented in graduate education.  CGS will continue to analyze the legislation and collaborate with the higher education community in providing feedback to policymakers on Capitol Hill.  

On October 4, CGS joined an amicus brief submitted by 43 other higher education associations. The brief, which was led by the American Council on Education (ACE), was submitted to the Supreme Court urging that the justices uphold the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The court will hear oral arguments on November 12 related to a set of three court cases challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to end DACA, first announced in September 2017. The amicus brief expresses support for the courts’ decision to currently keep DACA in place, highlighting how rescinding the policy would be extremely detrimental for Dreamers, their peers, institutions of higher education, and the nation writ large. For additional information, read ACE’s summary here.

A new CGS policy brief provides an overview of the Grad PLUS loan program and its importance to the ability of graduate students to finance their education. The brief highlights the background of the program, who Grad PLUS borrowers are, and its role as an investment in the U.S. workforce by providing access to graduate education. 

The policy brief can be found here. 

The Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act was reintroduced on June 17, 2021, by Representatives Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02), Fred Upton (R-MI-06), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), and Tim Burchett (R-TN-02). Below is a tool kit to assist CGS members in their advocacy efforts on behalf of this proposal. This toolkit will continue to be updated with additional resources as advocacy on the legislation continues. If you have any questions, please contact CGS’s Associate Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy, Amy Scott at amscott@cgs.nche.edu. 

Bill Text: Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act

Materials

• CGS Policy Brief: Maximizing Pell Grants to Support Graduate Students
• CGS Data Sources: Increasing Number of Graduate and Professional Students Are Former Pell Recipients

Letters and Statements

• CGS Letter in Support of the Bill
• CGS Press Release with Statement of Support from CGS President Suzanne Ortega
• CGS Member Statements on the Legislation
• Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH-02) Press Release