NACUBO On Your Side: February 15–March 7, 2022
3/07/2022
As things move quickly in Washington, DC, NACUBO is your constant advocate in action. NACUBO On Your Side covers important legislative and agency activity NACUBO staff are tracking, what we’re currently advocating for, and how you can take action with us.
Here are the issues we are tracking and advocating for this week.
Agency Action
2021 HEERF Reporting Delayed
After informing institutions via email that annual reporting deadlines were pushed back until at least April, ED has posted that the collection period will be from April 11–May 6, 2022. Additional information on the report form and process will be forthcoming. While a draft form is available, auto-fill indicators imply that a reporting portal is being developed.
ED to Host Webinar on HEERF Supplemental Support
The Department of Education will be hosting a webinar for the Supplemental Support under the American Rescue Plan (SSARP) funding opportunity on March 8, 2022. Email HEERFWebinar@ed.gov for further information.
DOE Announces Better Climate Challenge
On February 28, the Department of Energy called on businesses and organizations across the country to reduce their carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 as a part of the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge. Learn about the agency’s resources for the higher education sector here.
Advocacy
NACUBO Supports Free and Open Inquiry and Debate
“Efforts to suppress inquiry, curb discussion, and limit what can be studied violate the basic principles of free speech and an open exchange of ideas, and undermine the very purpose of higher education,” associations and organizations, including NACUBO, wrote in a statement issued on March 3. The group is concerned by the number of state legislatures that have passed or are considering laws limiting or banning teaching concepts that elected officials regard as divisive. While significant focus has been on secondary education, NACUBO believes it is likely that higher education will increasingly be the target of these attacks on open academic inquiry and vigorous debate.
NACUBO Responds to State Department Proposal to Raise Fees
The Department of State recently called for increases in the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, changing fees for nonimmigrant visas (including F, M,
and J) from $160 to $245 (an increase of 53 percent). In addition, State proposes to increase
the J-1 Waiver fee from $120 to $510 (an increase of 325 percent). NACUBO and other associations responded to the proposal, asking the State Department to take a more measured approach and reminding it of the dramatic decline in enrollment of international students and scholars during the 2020-21 academic year.
Take Action
Join Us for a Washington Update
NACUBO will continue its popular complimentary-for-members webcast series with a Washington Update (formerly known as Legislative Lunchcast) on March 31. Tune in for this free, 30-minute overview of what’s happening in Washington, DC, and learn about federal actions that will impact your campus. Register here.
