Author: Sarah Castro

Here’s a selection of articles the Office of Federal Relations is reading this week.

NCLB? – The first item on the agenda for the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee is the reauthorization of ESEA or No Child Left Behind. New HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) talks about how his views on the reauthorization and what might be coming for NCLB. Read it in Time.

$ Today for $$ Tomorrow – An op-ed on the changing nature of federal student loans, and the student loan landscape generally, and why higher education is becoming increasingly funded by the federal government, rather than state government. Read it at The New York Times.

Meet Our Demands! – As states try to fill the gaps in their budgets, many have started increasing the costs of licensing fees on applicants. Licensing discourages some applicants from pursuing those careers, which leaves nearly 3 million unfilled jobs. Additionally, many states require applicants to have taken certain courses to be eligible to apply for the programs, and these courses must be accredited. Read about it at The Washington Post.

Initial Offer – The President’s Budget Request for FY16 is expected to be $74 billion over budget levels set by the Sequester. Read about the budget at The Washington Post.

Plan B – The House Republican caucus is tossing around alternative ideas to stopping the Administration from implementing any immigration reform. The current idea is to sue the President. Read about it at Roll Call.

Out of State? – A recent study has found a correlation between falling state funding and public universities admitting more out of state students. Read it at The Chronicle.

Here’s a selection of articles Federal Relations is reading this week:

Meetings! – A guide on how to make the most of your DC visit. From Roll Call.

Due North – President Obama has issued an Executive Order on creating an Arctic Executive Steering Committee to eliminate overlapping areas of responsibility within the federal government and better focus efforts on the arctic. Read about it at USA Today.

Kickstarter Research – With ever shrinking federal research budgets, scientists are getting innovative and that includes crowdsourcing research. Read about it in The Washington Post.

Personal Medicine – In the State of the Union, the President called for a more personalized approach to cure diseases like cancer and diabetes. Read about it in The New York Times.

Changes to 529 – To pay for the two years of community college, the Obama Administration has proposed taxing 529 accounts. Read about it in The New York Times.

Athletics Scholarships – Schools and athlete representatives from the NCAA’s five wealthiest conferences voted 79-1 to expand what Division I schools can provide under an athletic scholarship. Read about it in USA Today.