News: Clock ticks on college Covid relief dollars

Monday, May 1, 2023

Clock ticks on college Covid relief dollars

May 01, 2023

Presented by The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success

CLOCK TICKS ON COLLEGE COVID RELIEF DOLLARS: The Biden administration as soon as this week could begin accepting requests from colleges for extra time to spend their share of federal Covid relief dollars. Ahead of a looming June 30 deadline for colleges to spend the money, the Education Department is setting up a new process for colleges to ask for a one-year extension of the time period to use their remaining Covid relief dollars.

John Shinkle/POLITICO

— The vast majority of the more than $75 billion in relief money that the federal government doled out to colleges during the pandemic has already been spent. But about 6 percent of higher education relief dollars remain unspent, according to the Education Department.

— More than 700 colleges each have more than $1 million of unspent relief money, department officials wrote in a filing with the White House Office of Management and Budget last month.

— “The number of colleges with funds remaining decreases each week as institutions continue to spend down the much-needed emergency relief funds ahead of the current deadline,” a department spokesperson said.

— The remaining money is mostly funds that colleges are able to use for a wide range of institutional purposes, such as purchasing technology or replacing revenue lost because of the pandemic. Nearly all — 99 percent — of the relief money that Congress required colleges to spend on emergency financial aid grants to students has already been spent, according to the department.

— Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education, said that some colleges have unspent money because they are paying for services on an ongoing basis, such as a contract to pay for telehealth mental health services. In other cases, he said, colleges made specific plans to spend the money but haven’t yet finalized the transaction for a wide range of reasons, such as supply chain issues or other logistical challenges.

— “This is not like there are big pools of money lying around,” Fansmith said. “It’s a small number of schools and small amount of money overall. By and large, colleges and universities have been really good stewards of the money and following the intentions of Congress. This data shows that we’re wrapping up that process and that seems appropriate to the timing of the end of the pandemic.”

— The Education Department last year issued an automatic, blanket extension of the deadline to June 30. But this year it plans to decide one-year extensions on a case-by-case basis.

— Colleges will be required to submit a request for an extension by June 20. The form requires colleges to explain why they need the extension and how they plan to use their remaining Covid relief dollars.

— The department “will not grant extensions merely for the purpose of using unobligated balances,” the agency spokesperson said. Department officials wrote in their filing with OMB that the agency plans to “assiduously determine” that colleges seeking an extension “have a thought-out plan for using their remaining [Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund] grant funds to address the lingering effects and impacts related to COVID-19.”

IT’S MONDAY, MAY 1. WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. Please send tips and feedback to the POLITICO education team: Michael Stratford (mstratford@politico.com), Mackenzie Wilkes (mwilkes@politico.com), Juan Perez Jr. (jperez@politico.com) and Bianca Quilantan (bquilantan@politico.com). Follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro.

A message from The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success:

The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success will host a virtual ESSER Impact Showcase on Tuesday, May 9, from 1-4 p.m. ET. This event will highlight the impact of ESSER investments in schools and communities. Follow the conversation online via #ESSERImpact. Register at advancefuturestudentsuccess.org.

Civil Rights

NEA JOINS COALITION URGING BIDEN TO EXPAND TITLE IX TRANS SPORTS RULE: The National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union and major Biden ally, on Friday joined a new campaign urging the Biden administration to expand its proposed Title IX rule on the rights of transgender students to participate in athletics.

— The administration’s proposal, released last month, would prohibit schools from enacting blanket bans on transgender athletes but would allow schools to ban their participation from competitive teams in some cases.

— The new campaign — Let Us Play — is led by the National Center for Transgender Equality and includes the NEA as well as Athlete Ally, interACT, GLSEN, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and TransAthlete.

— “This draft regulation is not yet final – and we have a major opportunity to make our voices heard and push the final rule to be as inclusive as possible,” the group’s website says. “Above all, our goal is to have trans and intersex kids at all ages be able to participate in sports with their peers. “‘

— Meanwhile, Kansas last week adopted one of the broadest restrictions on transgender people in the country. The GOP-controlled legislature overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly of a bill that defines a “woman” in state law by a person’s reproductive biology at birth. LGBTQ advocates say the law will embolden conservative school districts to install stricter policies against already vulnerable students. Bianca has more here.

GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGSITER HERE.

Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.

Education Department

BIDEN ADMIN RENEWS CALL FOR COLLEGES TO ‘BAN THE BOX’: The Education Department on Friday issued a series of new recommendations for how colleges and universities can better serve students who were previously incarcerated. The report, which is an updated version of guidance the department first issued in 2016, details best practices for how colleges recruit, admit and support the academic success of formerly incarcerated students.

— A key recommendation is for colleges and universities to stop asking questions about previous criminal history as part of the application process — known as “banning the box.” A growing number of colleges in recent years have taken that approach, including the Common App, which is used by hundreds of institutions. But nearly 72 percent of institutions still ask applicants to disclose their criminal history in the admissions process, according to the report.

— The department said that if colleges choose to continue asking applicants to disclose that information, it should “do so in a way that is evidence-based, fair, and transparent.” That includes, the report says, asking only about felony convictions, not misdemeanors or arrests.

— The Education Department “calls upon institutions across the country to re-examine their admissions and student service policies and holistically determine how they can better serve and support current and formerly incarcerated students,” Amy Loyd, the assistant secretary for career, technical, and adult education, wrote in a blog post. “We call on you to ban the box!”

A message from The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success:

Syllabus

— How George Mason University’s Scalia Law School became a key friend of the court: The New York Times.

— Should New York school use ‘Warrior’ nickname? Tribe to have last say: The Associated Press.

— Oklahoma’s top education official embraces culture wars: The Associated Press.

A message from The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success:

The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success brings together 12 leading education organizations that represent leaders from practitioners in the classroom to the state capitol, working together to ensure this moment of transformation brings about greater equity and outcomes for students in the U.S.

The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success is proud to present an ESSER Impact Showcase on Tuesday, May 9. This virtual event will highlight some of the work underway across Coalition members and how ESSER funds are impacting schools and communities. The event will focus on academic recovery, educator workforce and physical and mental health wellbeing, and will include voices from across the education system.

The showcase is free and open to the public. We encourage anyone interested in public education and pandemic recovery to attend. Register at advancefuturestudentsuccess.org.

DON’T MISS THE POLITICO ENERGY SUMMIT: A new world energy order is emerging and America’s place in it is at a critical juncture. Join POLITICO on Thursday, May 18 for our first-ever energy summit to explore how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future. We’ll explore progress on infrastructure and climate funding dedicated to building a renewable energy economy, Biden’s environmental justice proposals, and so much more. REGISTER HERE.