dotEDU: Higher Education Policy Explained

The Department of Education recently released the latest round of emergency funds provided by what will likely be the final COVID-19 relief bill, the American Rescue Plan. Our guest this week is Philip Rogers, chancellor of East Carolina University (ECU) and former ACE senior vice president, who talks about how ECU has used federal pandemic relief to help students and the university at large, along with the surrounding community of Greenville.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

East Carolina University CARES Act Funding

East Carolina Coronavirus News and Updates

East Carolina University Student Emergency Funding

U.S. Department of Education Makes Available $36 Billion in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students and Institutions Department of Education | May 11, 2021

Nearly $40 Billion in Relief for Higher Education in Sight as Congress Nears Completion on COVID-19 Bill March 8, 2021

Higher Education Receives More Than $20 Billion in COVID-19 Relief Funding Dec. 21, 2020

Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Allocates $14 Billion to Higher Education; Higher Education Community Says More Is Needed March 30, 2020

From the Introduction Public Generally Supports International Students Despite Security and Competition Concerns, ACE Survey Finds

College and University Presidents Respond to COVID-19: 2021 Spring Term Survey, Part II

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer provide insight into what President Biden's American Families Plan means for higher ed as well as how international students are being affected by the pandemic. ACE Vice President and General Counsel Peter McDonough visits the podcast to talk about what college leaders should know about vaccine requirements and the legal issues associated with making campuses safe when students return in the fall. **Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or [email protected].

EPISODE NOTES

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

From Introduction:

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on American Families Plan Higher Education Proposals

Free Community College Is Centerpiece of Biden Administration's Latest Infrastructure Plan

Biden Administration Moves to Make It Easier for Most International Students to Come to the U.S. This Fall

China Rivalry Spurs Republicans and Democrats to Align on Tech Spending The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | April 14, 2021

Letter to State and DHS Requesting Support for International Students in Fall 2021

From Conversation with Peter McDonough:

Issue Brief: Requiring (or Urging) COVID-19 Vaccinations at Colleges and Universities for Fall 2021

Here's a List of Colleges That Will Require Students or Employees to Be Vaccinated Against Covid-19 The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | May 5, 2021

Maryland Public Universities Will Mandate Coronavirus Vaccines. Other Campuses Aren't So Sure. The Washington Post (sub. req.) | April 23, 2021

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq are joined by Beth Akers, an economist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the debate over the cost of college and what policymakers, students, and parents should be considering when it comes to investing in postsecondary education. But first, Mushtaq explains why higher education leaders should be concerned about voting rights challenges, Sarah explains all you need to know about CFIUS (The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) and Jon talks about what higher ed thinks of President Biden's nominee for under secretary of education, James Kvaal. **Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or [email protected].

EPISODE NOTES

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

Statement on Voting Rights by Higher Education ACE

Letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Strategic Competition Act RE: Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) ACE

Hearing: "The Student Debt Burden and Its Impact on Racial Justice, Borrowers, & The Economy" The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Hearing

Letter to HELP Committee Leadership in Support of the Nomination of James Kvaal ACE

Beth Akers—Bio American Enterprise Institute

Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on Higher Education Beth Akers

You Want Free Community College—Do It With a Pell Grant Expansion Beth Akers, The Hill

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Choose your preferred player:

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

An ACE Task Force of college and university presidents and chancellors released a report last month offering recommendations on reimagining policies on transfer of college credit. Anne Holton, co-chair of the task force and a professor at George Mason University, and task force member Anne Kress, president of Northern Virginia Community College, visit the podcast to talk about the report, best practices for transfer of credit, and helping students succeed.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

Reimagining Transfer for Student Success

Doing Transfer Right Inside Higher Ed | March 29, 2021

ACE Issue Brief Suggests Framework for Campus Vaccination Requirement Questions

Likely Legal, 'Vaccine Passports' Emerge as the Next Coronavirus Divide The New York Times (sub. req.) | April 7, 2021

Biden's Billions for Higher Ed Inside Higher Ed | April 1, 2021

Colleges and Universities, Higher Ed Groups Call on Congress to Double the Maximum Pell Grant

Related posts from the Higher Education Today blog:

Innovating the Transfer Pipeline Through Regional Partnerships Feb. 5, 2021

Pathways to Community College Transformation Jan. 24, 2020

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Choose your preferred player:

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

Jon and Sarah are joined for a special crossover episode by Jill Creighton, host of the NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education flagship podcast, "SA: Voices from the Field." They talk about how COVID-19 has affected student life, the impact Title IX regulations are having on campuses and the future of those regulations under the new Biden administration, and touch on a few other policy issues such as student loan forgiveness and Dreamers. **Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or [email protected].

EPISODE NOTES

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

SA: Voices from the Field Podcast

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell: ACE Joins Nearly 1,200 Institutions and Organizations Calling on Congress to Double the Maximum Pell Grant

Remember the Dreamers

Rethinking Title IX Inside Higher Ed | March 9, 2021

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Choose your preferred player:

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Google Podcasts

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TuneIn

Amazon Music

ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, visits the podcast to talk about the financial aid policies and programs that might be proposed by Congress in the coming months, including doubling the maximum Pell Grant award and free college, and what this means in particular to post-traditional learners. Peller and the hosts also discuss what students need post-pandemic, like a permanent solution for funding for programs beyond tuition and textbooks, and how institutions can be more accommodating and creative about support programs.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Simulated Distribution of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds

ACE2021, ACE'S Annual Meeting (March 24-26)

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Final Congressional Passage of COVID-19 Relief Legislation

Student Loan Forgiveness May Become Tax-Free Under Covid Relief Bill. Here's What That Means for Borrowers CNBC | March 8, 2021

Biden Will Revisit Trump Rules on Campus Sexual Assault The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 8, 2021

Congress Moves to Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act CNN | March 9, 2021

Higher Learning Advocates

How We Can Double the Pell Grant Medium | March 8, 2021

Analysis of U.S. Experiment on Short-Term Pell Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 16, 2020

The Case for Quantum LEAP New America | Jan. 28, 2021

Hosts Jon Fansmith, Sarah Spreitzer, and Mushtaq Gunja talk with House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) about the recent past, present, and future of higher education legislation under his committee's purview, including COVID-19 relief funding, doubling the maximum Pell Grant and "second chance" Pell for incarcerated individuals, student loan debt forgiveness, and more.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

Congress Lifts Long-Standing Ban on Pell Grants to People in Prison PBS Newshour | December 29, 2020

Prisoners to Get 'Second Chance Pell' Inside Higher Ed | June 24, 2016 Aim Higher Act Congress Close on Simplifying FAFSA Inside Higher Ed | December 7, 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act Summary of Provisions – APLU It's Time To Double The Pell Grant Forbes | September 24, 2020 Doubling the Pell Grant to Promote Access to Opportunity, Higher Ed Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | December 15, 2020 Experts Weigh in on Biden's Support of $10,000 in Student Debt Forgiveness CNBC | January 22, 2021 Renewing the Higher Education Act ACE

Will Colleges Tap Large Endowments During Pandemic? Inside Higher Ed | May 22, 2021 Bipartisan Pair of Senators Reintroduces Immigration Reform Bill Protecting 'Dreamers' CNBC | February 4, 2021

Remember the Dreamers Top Higher Education Post Inside Higher Ed | February 22, 2021

ACE President Ted Mitchell joins Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq to talk about his impressions of incoming Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona and about his own experience working in the Education Department. The hosts kick off the episode talking about legislation making way through the new Congress, including a COVID relief bill, the DREAM Act, and recent staffing announcements at the Department of Education. **Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or [email protected].

EPISODE NOTES

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

ACE Annual Meeting 2021

Democrats Plow Ahead With a Party-Line Covid Relief Package Politico | Feb. 2, 2021

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding ACE

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on the Senate Confirmation Hearing of Secretary of Education-designate Miguel A. Cardona ACE

Five Key Moments From Education Secretary Nominee Miguel Cardona's Confirmation Hearing The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Feb. 3, 2021

Letter to Incoming Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Emergency Relief Funding Distribution ACE

Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper Tapped to U.S. Department of Education Post Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | Feb. 4, 2021

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Choose your preferred player:

Apple Podcasts

Google Play Music

Google Podcasts

iHeartRadio

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Spotify

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TuneIn

Amazon Music

ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

The hosts take the full episode to discuss how President Biden's actions in his first week in office will impact higher ed as well as how a slim majority for Democrats in the House and the Senate could impact legislation moving forward.

**Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or [email protected].

EPISODE NOTES

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

McConnell Relents On Senate Filibuster Stalemate NPR | Jan. 26, 2021

Here are the executive orders Biden has signed so far CNN | Jan. 25, 2021

Biden Executive Orders Preserve DACA, Extend Student Loan Deferrals, More ACE | Jan. 25, 2021

Fact Sheet: President Biden's New Executive Actions Deliver Economic Relief for American Families and Businesses Amid the COVID-19 Crises The White House | Jan. 22, 2021

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Google Play Music Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Radio.com app Spotify Stitcher TuneIn Amazon Music

ABOUT THE SHOW

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or email [email protected].

HOSTS

Jon Fansmith is a director of government relations at ACE. He represents ACE and its members on matters related to the federal budget and appropriations process, with a particular focus on student aid.

Mushtaq Gunja serves as vice president and chief of staff at ACE, where he is in charge of strategic initiatives, communications, and membership.

Sarah Spreitzer is a director of government relations at ACE. She represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues.

The hosts talk about the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, both what it meant to them as residents of Washington DC and the implications for American democracy. Later they are joined by Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director of public policy for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, to discuss current policy climate for international students in the United States and what the higher education community would like the Biden administration to prioritize in this area.

Here are some of the links and references from this week's show:

Introduction

'The Worst Day for American Democracy in My Lifetime' Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 7, 2021

Higher Ed Reacts With Shock and Condemnation as Trump Incites Mob to Terrorize U.S. Capitol The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Jan. 6, 2021

Riots at U.S. Capitol Prompt Strong Response from Higher Ed Leaders Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | Jan. 6, 2021

A Fraught Balancing Act Inside Higher Ed | Jan. 11, 2021

Colleges are Under Pressure to Hold Accountable Those who Sought to Overturn Election, Attended Capitol Riot The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Jan. 11, 2021

Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on the Violence in DC and Attack on Our Democracy

New COVID-19 Relief Bill: An Estimate of What Individual Institutions May Receive

Conversation with Jill Allen Murray

Open Doors Survey

Immigration Executive Actions Under the Trump Administration (NAFSA)

The Can-Do Power: America's Advantage and Biden's Chance Foreign Affairs | Jan./Feb. 2021

Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council

Rebuilding and Restoring International Education Leadership (NAFSA)

Sen. Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act

The Way Forward (NAFA's issue brief on the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act)

U.S.-Japan COIL Initiative

Norway Latest Country to Partner with ACE and U.S. Institutions to Maintain Global Learning Through Virtual Exchange