AAU joined ACE and other higher education associations in sending a letter to House leadership urging them to repeal the taxability of Pell Grants in the FY22 reconciliation process.
AAU President Barbara R. Snyder sent a letter to Congress expressing support for certain provisions of the Build Back Better Act and urging some important modifications as the bill advances through the legislative process. The letter emphasizes the significance of a successful government-university partnership and asks Congress to improve the legislation so it benefits students and America’s research and innovation enterprise.
Infrastructure and Innovation | Letters | Student Aid | Student Aid Tax Issues | COVID-19 | Endowments and Charitable Giving | FY22 | Higher Education Legislation | Innovation and Competitiveness | Taxation & Finance
AAU joined ACE and 37 other higher education associations in sending a letter to House and Senate leaders asking for support and legislation to assist displaced Afghan students and scholars. The letter outlines the efforts institutes of higher education are making to support talented Afghan students and scholars, including women, and encourages Congress to provide additional help.
AAU joined a letter to Senate Finance leadership urging them to repeal the taxability of Pell grants as part of the FY22 reconciliation process.
AAU, ACE, and 17 other higher education organizations sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging the Senate to vote in favor of James Kvaal’s nomination as under secretary of education. The under secretary of education oversees postsecondary education policy and manages issues such as student loan repayment and the administration of emergency relief programs. The letter stated: “Over the course of his career, we have come to know Mr. Kvaal as an effective, thoughtful, and objective expert in higher education policy. These traits will serve him, and our nation’s students and educators, well in the role of Under Secretary.”
AAU joined ACE and more than 20 other higher education organizations in a letter to House Education and Labor Committee leaders expressing appreciation for the committee’s draft reconciliation bill including substantial investments in students, educators, and institutions. These investments include a proposed $500 increase to the Pell Grant maximum award.
AAU joined other leading higher-education associations in a letter to House and Senate committee leaders expressing serious concerns about provisions of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the NSF for the Future Act, and the Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement (EAGLE) Act as those bills go to conference. In particular, the letter asks for removal of provisions that, while designed to enhance research security, would actually be counterproductive or unnecessarily onerous.
On September 3, AAU joined nine other higher-education associations in sending a letter to House and Senate appropriators to urge them to repeal the taxability of Pell grants by incorporating the “Tax-Free Pell Grant Act” as part of their final FY2022 reconciliation agreement.
AAU joined with APLU in sending a letter to Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas offering assistance as efforts to evacuate and support at-risk Afghan students and scholars continue.
AAU joined ACE and six other higher education associations in sending a comment letter asking the Department of Education to withdraw its proposed information collection on reporting requirements for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund program.