Letters

The Student Aid Alliance, which includes AAU, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education in response to their FY27 budget request to Congress for federal student aid programs, urging them to fully fund the $17 billion Pell Grant shortfall and restore or increase funding for five other federal student aid programs (FWS, FSEOG, TRIO, GEAR UP, and GAANN) that the Department's FY27 budget proposes to severely cut or eliminate.

AAU joined ACE and 30 other higher education associations in sending a letter to the State Department urging the agency to prioritize processing visa applications for international students and scholars as peak application season for the fall academic semester arrives.

The Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC), of which AAU is a member, sent a letter to urge Congress to reject the proposed cut to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science in the FY27 budget request and instead appropriate $9.5 billion.

AAU and other associations urge Congress to appropriate 9 billion dollars for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in FY 2027 to maintain U.S. leadership in space science, advance decadal priorities across planetary, astrophysics, and Earth science missions, and support the national STEM workforce and innovation-driven economy.

The Coalition for Aerospace and Science urges Congress to appropriate at least 26 billion dollars for NASA in FY 2027, including specified increases across NASA’s science, technology, exploration, operations, aeronautics, and STEM engagement directorates, to sustain U.S. leadership in a new era of space exploration and competition.

Friends of IES, a coalition of organizations including AAU, sent a letter urging Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, & Related Agencies leadership to provide $900 million for IES in the FY 2027 appropriations bill.

The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) urges the CJS appropriations subcommittees to provide at least 9.9 billion dollars for the National Science Foundation in FY 2027 to restore cuts, sustain core research and education directorates (including STEM education and emerging technologies like AI and quantum), and strengthen U.S. scientific leadership, infrastructure, and workforce competitiveness. ​

AAU joined ACE and 21 other higher education associations in sending a letter to the General Services Administration in regards to a Trump administration proposal that would require all federal funding recipients to certify they do not have unlawful DEI programs and practices.

AAU joined APLU, ACE, AAMC, and AUTM in sending a letter to Chair Ernst, Ranking Member Markey, Chair Williams, Ranking Member Velázquez, Chair Babin, and Ranking Member Lofgren to thank them for their help in passing S.3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act and reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

The Student Aid Alliance, which includes AAU, sent the following letter to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education leadership urging them "to protect and maintain funding for federal student aid programs in fiscal year (FY) 2027."