Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick

Dear Colleagues: 
Top appropriators in Washington this week agreed to total spending parameters for funding the government in FY 2023 but still need another week to finalize the details. To accommodate the need for more time, and to avoid a government shutdown, Congress passed another continuing resolution that will last until December 23.
What’s at stake for federal student aid is a proposed $500 increase for the Pell Grant maximum, which is included in both the House and Senate plans, along with significant increases for the other student aid programs and institutional aid programs under Titles III and V. Generally, the House proposed slightly higher funding levels than the Senate, as the House had a higher subcommittee allocation. While NAICU continues to advocate that appropriators fund these programs at the highest levels possible, I encourage you to keep up your advocacy efforts with your Members of Congress. We have been hearing about the positive impact this outreach is having.
Here is the summary and background Alert I sent a few weeks ago and the talking points and sample letter you can tailor and use in your advocacy efforts.
This week’s Washington Update includes a story on the Department of Veterans Affairs announcement that it was delaying its transition to a new enrollment management system for two months, to March 2023. 
Top appropriators in Washington this week agreed to total spending parameters for funding the government in FY 2023 but still need another week to finalize the details. To accommodate the need for more time, and to avoid a government shutdown, Congress is working on another continuing resolution that will last until December 23.
What’s at stake for federal student aid is a proposed $500 increase for the Pell Grant maximum award, which is included in both the House and Senate plans, along with significant increases for the other student aid programs and institutional aid programs under Titles III and V. Generally, the House proposed slightly higher funding levels than the Senate, as the House had a higher subcommittee allocation.

While NAICU continues to advocate that appropriators fund these programs at the highest levels possible, I encourage you to keep up your advocacy efforts with your Members of Congress. We have been hearing about the positive impact this outreach is having. Here is the summary and background Alert I sent a few weeks ago and the talking points and sample letter you can tailor and use in your advocacy efforts.
This week’s Washington Update includes a story on the Department of Veterans Affairs announcement that it was delaying its transition to a new enrollment management system for two months, from mid-January until March 2023. 

Soundbites

• The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which includes two positive updates for NAICU members, is on track for passage before the end of this Congress. The current bill dropped the research security issues institutions have had concerns with for several years regarding foreign influence on college campuses. The bill also includes $131.7 million for defense research expansion at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions. This expansion will allow these institutions to apply for funding to complete defense research in subject areas outlined by the Defense Department. NAICU signed on to a letter with the higher education community in support of this funding stream.

• The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a second challenge to President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Both cases – the first brought by a group of states and the second by a group representing students excluded from the plan – will be argued in February. Both lawsuits involve questions regarding the parties’ standing to bring suit and the president’s legal authority to create the debt relief plan. The latest case, Department of Education v. Brown, also involves a claim that the Biden Administration failed to follow proper procedure. In the meantime, the nationwide injunction preventing implementation of the loan forgiveness plan remains in effect.

• NAICU, along with 44 of our state associations and Secretariat organizations, submitted comments to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on 85/15. The comment letter asks the VA to make clear in the preamble or other regulatory language that this proposed rule does not apply to institutions with the 35% waiver from collecting, calculating, or reporting 85/15 program ratios. The letter also highlights the importance of the term “institutional aid” for private, nonprofit colleges and universities and the potential negative effects of the VA’s continued misapplication of the term in the proposed rule.

• The political fight over accreditation continues, as a group of former Trump Administration officials released a letter criticizing the Biden Administration’s recent guidance on accreditation. That guidance, which established a new approval process for institutions seeking to switch to a new accreditor or add an additional accrediting agency, came in response to concerns about: 1) Trump-era regulations that allow former regional accreditors to accredit institutions outside of their traditional boundaries; and 2) a recently enacted Florida law that requires public colleges and universities to switch accreditors before their next accreditation cycle. This week’s letter criticized the Department for engaging in “politically motivated harassment” and demanded withdrawal of the guidance.

Much like the past several years, 2022 brought many surprises, challenges, opportunities, and successes. Some of our campuses and communities continue to cope with the direct effects of the pandemic as well the longer-term health and mental health impacts. Your commitment to providing a world-class education in a safe environment is truly remarkable and inspiring.
This year, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit campuses and meet with many NAICU members through our state executive network. It is so rewarding to hit the road and talk with and hear from members directly and in-person once again. In my engagements, I am often asked to provide the “view from Washington.” That view is sometimes crystal clear. More frequently, however, the view is cloudy and uncertain.
What I am most grateful for is that these opportunities afford the opportunity for me to simply say THANK YOU. Thank you for your commitment to your students and communities. Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of private, nonprofit higher education. Thank you for your membership in NAICU. Your membership, your voice, your story are what make us an effective advocate for independent higher education. 
We’ve had many successes this year. From generating support for doubling the Pell Grant and garnering proposals for significant increases in the other federal student and institutional aid programs, to earning hard-fought wins for our veteran students and securing vital tax benefits for students and families. 
However, we will face growing challenges yet again in 2023. All of higher education will be under the microscope – from both Congress and the Biden Administration. We will be working to demonstrate the value that a higher education brings to individuals, states, regions, and the country. Ours is a history that mirrors the growth of the United States. Our future is just as important and I know that, together, we will be up to the task.
As 2022 comes to an end, I wish you and your campus community a very healthy and happy holiday season and New Year. This will be the last issue of Washington Update for the year. Our next scheduled issue will be January 6, 2023. If there is breaking news between now and then, we will be sure to communicate with you. 

Regards,

Barbara   

Barbara K. Mistick, D.M.
President, NAICU

For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick