This week in legislative affairs...

From NCHER and SASFAA's Legislative Relations Committee.

Week of April 4

·       This week, the U.S. Senate is in session for legislative business, though it is not expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation. The U.S. House is in recess and will return on Tuesday, April 12.

·       Today and Tuesday, all day, the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education hosts its 43^rd annual national conference using the theme, “Our Future is Now in Higher Education,” at the City University of New York Graduate Center in New York City, NY. Panels and workshops include: Dual Credit and Enrollment Issues at Community Colleges, Career Technical Education for the Future, Annual Panel: Year in Higher Education, Legal Issues in Higher Education: Annual Review of Court and Administrative Developments, and Effective Advocacy on Behalf of Higher Education.

 

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing titled, “Assessing the Effects of Consumer Finance Regulations.” Witnesses include: Leonard Chanin, Counsel, Morrison and Foerster LLP; David Hirschmann, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; and Todd Zywicki, Foundation Professor of Law and Executive Director, Law and Economics Center, George Mason University School of Law.

 

·       On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government holds a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2017 budget request and funding justification for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Witnesses include: The Honorable Tom Wheeler,Chairman, FCC; and The Honorable Ajit Pai, Commissioner, FCC.

 

·       On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., Higher One and EverFi host a discussion titled, “Financial Wellness in Higher Ed,” to release the fourth-year results of Money Matters on Campus, a survey examining the financial attitudes and behaviors of college students from across the United States. The findings outlined in this year’s report provide evidence that early financial experience and education are worthwhile endeavors and will, hopefully, help direct policies and programming designed for both four-year and two-year student populations. Panelists include: Ted Gonder, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Moneythink; Bryan Ashton, Assistant Director, Student Wellness Center, The Ohio State University (Moderator); Jillian Berman, Reporter, MarketWatch;Kate Griffin, Vice President of Programs, Corporation for Enterprise Development; Mary Johnson, Vice President of Financial Literacy and Student Aid Policy, Higher One; and Drew Smith, Director, Office of Wellness Initiatives for Student Empowerment, The University of Kentucky. To RSVP, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the American Youth Policy Forum and the National College Access Network (NCAN) host a webinar titled, “Moving the Needle for First Generation College Students: Comprehensive Advising from College Access to Success.” The webinar will highlight comprehensive advising strategies for supporting first generation college students from low-income homes and their college access, transition, and success, and discuss the role of policy in scaling these efforts. Speakers include: Elizabeth Morgan, Director of External Relations, NCAN; Cassie Magesis, Director of College Readiness, Urban Assembly, Bridge to College Program; Pam Blumenthal, Director, Links Programs, Portland Community College; Josh Lauire, Manager, Future Connect Scholarship, Portland Community College; and Rana Tarkenton, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Denver Scholarship Foundation. To register, click here.

·       On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) releases the minutes of its two-day meeting held March 15-16, 2016.

·       On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing entitled, “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Semi-Annual Report to Congress.” The sole witness will be The Honorable Richard Cordray, Director, CFPB.

·        On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its “Consumer Credit – G.19” report, which includes the amount of outstanding federal and private student loans. 

·       On Friday at 10:00 a.m., New America hosts an event entitled, “Starting From Scratch?: A Debate on Vouchers vs. Direct Aid to Colleges.” Panelists will discuss which funding structure works better: the current voucher system that provides Pell Grants to low-income students or a state-federal partnership that provides federal aid to colleges through states. Panelists arguing for the current system include: Sarah Flanagan, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Development, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; and Andrew Kelly, Resident Scholar and Director, Center on Higher Education Reform, American Enterprise Institute. Panelists arguing for directly aiding colleges include: F. King Alexander, President, Louisiana State University; and William Doyle, Associate Professor of Higher Education, Vanderbilt University. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Reporter forThe Washington Post, will serve as moderator. To RSVP, click here.

 

·       Saturday through next Tuesday, all-day, the American Association of Community Colleges holds its annual convention titled, “Our Camelot Moment: A New Day for Community Colleges,” in Chicago, IL. The event is among the largest gatherings of educational leaders, attracting over 2,000 community college presidents and senior administrators, as well as international educators, representatives of business and industry, and federal agencies. Sessions include: Pathway to College Readiness for All High School Graduates, Building a Movement for Free Community College on Campus and Nationwide, USA Funds/Gallup Survey Results: How Associate Degree Recipients Rate Their College Experience, Finding Common Ground: Adapting Performance Funding to Improve Outcomes, National Community College Politics and Policy in the Presidential Election Year, and Best Practices for Improving Your Cohort Default Rate.