Empathy List Archives

MD

Michele Diecuch

Mon, Dec 21, 2020 6:48 PM

Hi everyone,
As you likely saw, last night congress finalized an agreement on a COVID-relief package as well as full FY2021 appropriations. Here are some notes from what CEF has been able to learn so far:

  Congress passed a one-day extension of funding to keep the government open until midnight tonight to give time for both chambers to pass the legislation today.

  FY2021 appropriations - public information is not yet available for the FY2021 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer issued a joint statement<https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-pelosi_joint-statement-on-emergency-coronavirus-relief-and-omnibus-agreement> on the COVID-relief and omnibus spending agreement with some components.

  The COVID-relief funding provides more education support than the CARES Act, but far less than the HEROES Act (House-passed previously) and HEALS Act (Senate proposed in summer). The report details known so far:

o $82 billion for Education Relief Funds that are similar to the funds in the CARES Act (the CARES Act provided a total of $30.75 billion for these funds):

§ $818.8 million for outlying areas and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools.

§ $4.05 billion for a Governors Emergency Relief Fund, with money set aside for private K-12 schools (the bipartisan bill set aside $2.5 billion of a larger $7.5 billion allocation for governors). Note: We do yet know if WIOA Title II funds are specifically called out in this fund, but we will share details as soon as known.

§ $54.3 billion for an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

§ $22.7 billion for a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund:

· $20 billion for non-profit (public and private) institutions of higher education (IHEs);

· $908 million for financial aid for students at for-profit colleges;

· $1.7 billion for HBCUs, minority-serving institutions, and tribal colleges*;

· $113.5 million for IHEs with greatest unmet need and for graduate institutions and others not covered by the previous formulas.

o *$1.34 billion in relief to discharge previous loans made to HBCUs

o Expands Pell grant eligibility - House Education and Labor Committee chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) described these provisionshttps://edlabor.house.gov/media/press-releases/education-leaders-celebrate-higher-education-agreement-in-fy21-omnibus as does Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WAhttps://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsroom?ID=7D866A29-3F6D-4C29-B95F-17838B5367CC). More students will be eligible for larger awards, but it does not increase the maximum award. It restores Pell grant eligibility to formerly incarcerated people and for those defrauded by their school. It also simplifies the FAFSA - a long-held goal of the retiring Senate HELP Committee chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that likely would have been included in a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act if one had been enacted this year.

o $10 billion for child care through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. Funds will help support providers and families (the CARES Act provided $3.5 billion for childcare).

o $250 million for Head Start (less than the $750 million for Head Start in the CARES Act.

o $7 billion for broadband, including $3.2 billion for what sounds like it could be support for the e-rate program "for low-income families to access broadband through an FCC fund" (from the press release). There is also a $1 billion tribal broadband fund, $300 million for a new grant program to fund broadband in rural areas, and other funding for telehealth and broadband infrastructure. The earlier bipartisan proposal included $3 billion for e-rate, $6.2 billion for connectivity, including remote learning, and $200 million for the Institute for Museum and Library Services to purchase internet-connected devices for low-income and rural communities.

More to come as we receive details...

Michele

Hi everyone, As you likely saw, last night congress finalized an agreement on a COVID-relief package as well as full FY2021 appropriations. Here are some notes from what CEF has been able to learn so far: 1. Congress passed a one-day extension of funding to keep the government open until midnight tonight to give time for both chambers to pass the legislation today. 2. FY2021 appropriations - public information is not yet available for the FY2021 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer issued a joint statement<https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-pelosi_joint-statement-on-emergency-coronavirus-relief-and-omnibus-agreement> on the COVID-relief and omnibus spending agreement with some components. 3. The COVID-relief funding provides more education support than the CARES Act, but far less than the HEROES Act (House-passed previously) and HEALS Act (Senate proposed in summer). The report details known so far: o $82 billion for Education Relief Funds that are similar to the funds in the CARES Act (the CARES Act provided a total of $30.75 billion for these funds): § $818.8 million for outlying areas and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. § $4.05 billion for a Governors Emergency Relief Fund, with money set aside for private K-12 schools (the bipartisan bill set aside $2.5 billion of a larger $7.5 billion allocation for governors). Note: We do yet know if WIOA Title II funds are specifically called out in this fund, but we will share details as soon as known. § $54.3 billion for an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. § $22.7 billion for a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund: · $20 billion for non-profit (public and private) institutions of higher education (IHEs); · $908 million for financial aid for students at for-profit colleges; · $1.7 billion for HBCUs, minority-serving institutions, and tribal colleges*; · $113.5 million for IHEs with greatest unmet need and for graduate institutions and others not covered by the previous formulas. o *$1.34 billion in relief to discharge previous loans made to HBCUs o Expands Pell grant eligibility - House Education and Labor Committee chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) described these provisions<https://edlabor.house.gov/media/press-releases/education-leaders-celebrate-higher-education-agreement-in-fy21-omnibus> as does Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA<https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsroom?ID=7D866A29-3F6D-4C29-B95F-17838B5367CC>). More students will be eligible for larger awards, but it does not increase the maximum award. It restores Pell grant eligibility to formerly incarcerated people and for those defrauded by their school. It also simplifies the FAFSA - a long-held goal of the retiring Senate HELP Committee chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that likely would have been included in a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act if one had been enacted this year. o $10 billion for child care through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. Funds will help support providers and families (the CARES Act provided $3.5 billion for childcare). o $250 million for Head Start (less than the $750 million for Head Start in the CARES Act. o $7 billion for broadband, including $3.2 billion for what sounds like it could be support for the e-rate program "for low-income families to access broadband through an FCC fund" (from the press release). There is also a $1 billion tribal broadband fund, $300 million for a new grant program to fund broadband in rural areas, and other funding for telehealth and broadband infrastructure. The earlier bipartisan proposal included $3 billion for e-rate, $6.2 billion for connectivity, including remote learning, and $200 million for the Institute for Museum and Library Services to purchase internet-connected devices for low-income and rural communities. More to come as we receive details... Michele

SB

Sharon Bonney

Mon, Dec 21, 2020 9:13 PM

Hello,
Here's what we are hearing from our public policy firm:

The bill text released today covers both fiscal year 2021 appropriations and additional covid relief.

Great news on the appropriations front, adult education state grants got an $18 million increase in the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill!

On covid relief, adult education did not get direct funding, but it is again an allowable use of funds for broader education funding, including the GEER pot, which has proved to work well for many states. As we’ve discussed, there will be another covid package early in the new Administration and we will continue to advocate for the $1 billion adult ed covid funding.

Sharon Bonney

[cid:fc20eb79-32ab-4f76-94c0-cd32ed2ea062]https://www.facebook.com/COABEHQ/ [cid:95391a8d-1019-49c6-993d-3ab7e1046e04] https://twitter.com/COABEHQ [cid:2b2ddebe-7eda-48de-9388-f071da3aa953] https://www.linkedin.com/company/coalition-on-adult-basic-education/ [cid:3386c1a3-8166-44ac-aef8-d7c7c090ce64] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvCmd7QzQq3e5XzawnVgnTg

[cid:cecf85d7-5a95-499c-ae74-9bc20d14d0f6][cid:4669f875-2397-4618-a9fb-58aeaedde731]

From: Members members-bounces@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org on behalf of Michele Diecuch MDiecuch@proliteracy.org
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2020 1:48 PM
To: NCL Members members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org
Subject: [NCL Members] COVID relief and appropriations

Hi everyone,

As you likely saw, last night congress finalized an agreement on a COVID-relief package as well as full FY2021 appropriations. Here are some notes from what CEF has been able to learn so far:

  Congress passed a one-day extension of funding to keep the government open until midnight tonight to give time for both chambers to pass the legislation today.

  FY2021 appropriations - public information is not yet available for the FY2021 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer issued a joint statement<https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-pelosi_joint-statement-on-emergency-coronavirus-relief-and-omnibus-agreement> on the COVID-relief and omnibus spending agreement with some components.

  The COVID-relief funding provides more education support than the CARES Act, but far less than the HEROES Act (House-passed previously) and HEALS Act (Senate proposed in summer). The report details known so far: