12 Nov2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the signing of a joint agreement to strengthen college student access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. This agreement aims to increase awareness of SNAP among college students, as new data shows millions of eligible students are falling through the cracks. A recent Government Accountability Office report revealed that 67% of the 3.3 million college students potentially eligible for SNAP reported not receiving benefits.
“We’re committed to making SNAP more accessible and easier to understand for low-income college students,” said USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary Cindy Long. “Many of today’s college students are balancing jobs and family responsibilities. Access to SNAP ensures that eligible students can focus on their education, mental health, and overall well-being, rather than making difficult choices between groceries, textbooks, or other essentials.”
04 Nov2024
By U.S. Department of Education
Secretary Cardona joined President Biden for an event celebrating Executive Order (EO) 14214, establishing the first-ever White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) alongside close to two dozen champions for these institutions. President Biden and Vice President Harris also announced nearly $19 million in transformational research infrastructure investments for five HSIs in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Puerto Rico through the U.S. Department of Education’s Research and Development Infrastructure Program (RDI), which is providing a total of $49 million in funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
To remain the most competitive economy in the world, the nation’s most inclusive institutions of higher education that play a central role in educating students from diverse backgrounds must continue to lead in research and development. To advance this goal, the RDI grant program provides funds to HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs —including HSIs— to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
28 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced the next step in its ongoing efforts to provide student debt relief — a set of proposed rules that, if finalized, would authorize loan forgiveness for approximately 8 million borrowers experiencing hardship. If these rules are finalized as proposed, the Secretary of Education could waive up to the entire outstanding balance of a student loan when the Department determines a hardship is likely to impair the borrower’s ability to fully repay the loan or render the costs of continued collection of the loan unjustified.
“For far too long, our broken student loan system has made it too hard for borrowers experiencing heartbreaking and financially devastating hardships to access relief, and it’s not right,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The rules proposed by the Biden-Harris Administration today would provide hope to millions of struggling Americans whose challenges may make them eligible for student debt relief. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and I will not stop fighting to deliver student debt relief and create a fairer, more just, and more affordable student loan system for all borrowers.”
21 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing an additional investment of $70 million to expand student access to school-based mental health services across the nation. These grants support the President’s Unity Agenda for the nation and build on the historic levels of funding to address youth mental health provided under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership through the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). These efforts continue to bolster the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration (MHSP) grant programs at a time of increased need.
The Department has worked closely with federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as colleges and universities, to build the education system’s capacity to provide mental health services in school. Today’s announcement advances the goal set out by President Biden to double the number of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other school-based mental health professionals.
15 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is highlighting a series of resources available for students, families, borrowers, and schools and institutions of higher education impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. These resources include guidance, on-the-ground support, technical assistance (including in accessing federal resources), and peer-to-peer connections for state and local leaders; resources for recovery needs such as mental health support for students and educators and to restore learning environments; flexibilities to help institutions of higher education continue to manage the federal financial aid programs; and automatically enrolling affected borrowers with missed payments into a natural disaster forbearance. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, this forbearance will count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness.
The Department is urgently working to support impacted states with recovery efforts. The Department’s Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) provides leadership, financial and technical resources, and support to assist education communities with recovery following a natural disaster. The DRU also collaborates with Federal recovery partners to support disaster recovery and connects education entities with disaster recovery experts to support specific recovery solutions. Following Hurricane Helene, the DRU reached out to state educational agencies and over 500 institutions of higher education in the impacted disaster areas to inform these entities of financial assistance opportunities, including Project SERV funds, which provide short-term funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a violent or traumatic crisis, including weather-related natural disasters, to assist in restoring a safe environment conducive to learning. The Department will conduct similar outreach following Hurricane Milton. The Department is exploring options to offer program flexibilities, including extending grant application windows and waivers.
07 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced $65.4 million in 12 new Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) awards and $1.7 million for two new awards under the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant Program (FDS).
These awards build on the $20 million in MSAP grants the Biden-Harris Administration announced in May ahead of the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and further the Administration’s commitment to providing every student with a well-rounded education and improving the opportunities for every student to successfully learn and achieve.
30 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced $46 million in new grants to establish dedicated technical assistance centers through the Comprehensive Centers program to support state and local educational agencies (LEAs) in advancing resource equity in schools, accelerating academic recovery, strengthening the educator workforce, promoting early school success, and supporting English and multilingual learners.
The Comprehensive Centers program provides a national network of support for states, districts, and schools to promote student achievement, increase performance among schools designated for improvement under the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and equip education leaders with evidence and tools to address emerging challenges facing K-12 schools. The Department is newly awarding funds for one National Center; 14 Regional Centers covering geographic areas of the U.S. aligned to the Department’s Regional Educational Laboratories; and four Content Centers reflecting key priorities from a public input rulemaking earlier this year. Together, these 19 centers form the Comprehensive Center Network and help states and LEAs improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction, particularly for groups of students who are most underserved, including students from low-income backgrounds and students attending schools in need of additional supports.
23 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education awarded nearly $50 million to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to support Hispanic and Latino students, and the colleges and universities preparing them for the future.
“Our nation’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions open up new doors to opportunity and success for Hispanic and Latino students every day,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The grants we’re announcing today double down on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in Hispanic-Serving Institutions and reflect our determination to raise the bar for educational opportunity and equity in America.”
16 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) awarded $251 million to 27 grantees across the country who are working to ensure individuals with disabilities have access to in-demand, good-paying jobs of the 21st century. These five-year grants, under the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) program, will continue to promote competitive, integrated employment (CIE) so that youth and adults with disabilities are paid real wages for real jobs while creating pathways to some of today’s most in-demand fields.
“Today, more than 60 million adults live with a disability – each with unique talents and strengths. In our 21st century economy, we must provide more opportunities for these individuals to achieve their goals for competitive integrated employment, independence, and economic self-sufficiency,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Through the Disability Innovation Fund and today’s announcement, we’ll make progress to overcome historic barriers to employment, while ensuring the varied needs, preferences, and goals of individuals with disabilities remain at the center of our vision for a strong, inclusive workforce.”
09 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced more than $28 million in new awards in the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain a strong, effective, and diverse educator workforce for classrooms across the country.
The Department also released new data showing the breakdown of borrowers approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) in every state. The data showcase how every state has borrowers, including educators, that are part of the $69.2 billion for nearly 947,000 borrowers that have seen relief through this program. By contrast, at the start of this Administration, only 7,000 had been approved for PSLF.
03 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced today more than $80 million in grant awards to 26 grantees to improve access to postsecondary education for students from low-income backgrounds. The grants are being provided under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program, which aims to significantly increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who are prepared to attend and succeed in postsecondary education.
27 Aug2024
By U.S. Department of Education
On Tuesday, September 3, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will launch the 2024 Back to School Bus Tour from Sept. 3 to Sept. 6. The week-long, multi-state road trip will showcase the many ways schools, families, and communities are doubling down on accelerating student achievement and raising the bar in public education with investments and other support from the Biden-Harris Administration.
The Back to School Bus Tour will feature stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. This year’s theme, “Fighting for Public Education,” highlights how school communities are using the Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments in public education to implement evidence-based and promising and innovative strategies and accelerate academic success, to support students of all ages and backgrounds. The 2024 bus tour will celebrate public education as the American system that opened the door for so many of our nation’s success stories: from astronauts to astrophysicists, writers to engineers, musicians to mathematicians, innovative entrepreneurs in the private sector to great leaders in the public sector.
19 Aug2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced more than $40 million in grant awards to seven grantees to improve completion rates for underserved students. The grants are being provided under the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program, which aims to equitably improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion, by leveraging data and implementing, scaling, and rigorously evaluating evidence-based approaches.
“Across the country, colleges and universities are rejecting the old idea that weeding out students was a sign of quality, and instead they are taking responsibility for all of their students’ success,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. “These awards will not only help find new ways to help students graduate; they will help change expectations.”
22 Jul2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) released proposed regulations that would increase college access for high school students, provide better public data on student outcomes, including increased oversight over distance education programs, and ensure the student aid programs work in the best interests of students. The regulations propose changes to three distinct areas, including the federal TRIO programs, Distance Education, and Return to Title IV (R2T4). The proposed regulations build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase college access and affordability and improve the quality and value of postsecondary education.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we continue our relentless push to make higher education more affordable and accessible to all Americans. The regulations proposed today, if enacted, would help expand both access and affordability to our most disadvantaged students: those from low-income backgrounds, students without immigration status, and students with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “By broadening eligibility for federal programs and placing guardrails that help protect against situations that leave students with debt but no degree, we can open more doors to the life-changing potential of higher education.”
15 Jul2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released three new resources with information for students, parents and families, and schools addressing the civil rights of students with sickle cell disease, epilepsy, and cancer. OCR issued these resources during a month that marks World Sickle Cell Day and National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week.
The resources inform students with disabilities, and their families and schools, about relevant legal rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by institutions that accept federal financial assistance, which includes almost all public schools and public and private institutions of higher education. These new resources, which are applicable to all levels of education, explain when these medical conditions trigger protections under Section 504, what kind of modifications an educational institution may need to take to avoid unlawful discrimination, and what an institution may need to do to remedy past discrimination.
