House Education & Workforce Committee Just Released Budget Reconciliation Proposal To Fulfill the Reconciliation Directives Requiring Over $300 Billion In Savings from the Committee
Reminder: First of Two Public Hearings on 2025-2026 Federal Negotiated Rulemaking Takes Place Tomorrow
Overview
Budget Reconciliation Mark Up
Just a short time ago the House Committee on Education & Workforce officials posted their intent to hold a full committee mark up beginning at 10:15 AM tomorrow – April 29^th to provide the directed offset required under H. Con. Res. 14, Section 2001(B)(3). Under the requirements of the Committee on Education and Workforce is required to submit changes in law within its jurisdiction to reduce the deficit by not less than $330 billion for the period of fiscal year 2025 through 2034.
The 103-page bill developed to achieve the required offsets has been posted in advance of tomorrow’s mark up. The complete proposal (
edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/ans_el_recon_01_xml.pdf) contains several key Subtitles including:
Subtitle A – Student Eligibility
Subtitle B – Loan Limits
Subtitle C – Loan Repayment
Subtitle D – Pell Grants
Subtitle E – Accountability
Subtitle F – Regulatory Relief
While CSPEN has not had the opportunity to fully review the details of the entire proposal, our initial review does note the inclusion of the Workforce Pell proposal under Subtitle D, institutional risk-sharing and a new PROMISE Grant under Subtitle E, and repeal/revision to several regulations including repealing the 90/10 Rule and Gainful Employment Rule and revising the Closed School Discharge and Borrower Defense to Repayment regulations by eliminating the revisions published on November 1, 2022.
CSPEN is in the process of going a thorough review of the entire proposal, which we will provide to you in the morning prior to the start of the mark up.
If you wish to watch the mark up, it can be accessed here.
https://www.youtube.com/live/BR0wJVVgrmk
2025-2026 Federal Negotiated Rulemaking
Tomorrow is also the first of two public hearings taking place in advance of the U.S. Department of Education’s intent to hold federal negotiations on specific student loan debt requirements, but may also lead to the review of many additional regulations based upon the outcome of the public hearings. As previously noted, the Department seeks public comment on three discreet topics:
1. Refining definitions of a qualifying employer for the purposes of determining eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
2. Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) repayment plans.
3. Potential topics that would streamline current federal student financial assistance program regulations while maintaining or improving program integrity and institutional quality.
It is the third of these three categories that is most likely to bring out a myriad of potential recommendations on not only streamlining the FSA programs, but also requests for consideration of many, many other regulatory reviews based upon the revisions promulgated under the Biden-Harris Administration during the last four years.
If you are interested in watching the hearing, you can view the two sessions from 9 AM ET to noon and 1 PM ET to 4:00 PM by registering here.
* 2025-2026 Negotiated Rulemaking; Public Hearing (events.zoomgov.com/ev/Am_-jTyQXMknQbTq1GhtgM197K4aRA7IhCaVsQDBh8vVrnPqawTV~AmC0AjAGGgVQH40Btki3fdvRV4zacaB_krnM7yuqL_40ru7DrKju7eTkSA)
