House Appropriations Committee Releases Funding Allocations and Markup Schedule

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced his FY 25 funding allocations for each of the twelve Appropriations Subcommittees. Similar to last year, these allocations did not include additional funding from the “side deal” to the debt limit agreement. If included, it would have provided a 1% overall increase for domestic programs. However, without this side agreement, Cole states that the allocations reflect a 6% overall cut to domestic programs below last year’s levels, and the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee would see a 10% cut below last year’s level. Chair Cole intends to mark up the Labor-HHS in Subcommittee is June 27 with Full Committee markup on July 10. 

House Democrats have already signaled their strong opposition to the proposed FY 25 funding allotments. House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) laid out the stark divide on nondefense spending in the House in her press release, which details the enacted $778 billion FY 24 nondefense spending line, compared to the no higher than $711 billion FY 25 level sought by House Republicans, and the at least $786 billion FY 25 level sought by House Democrats. DeLauro said any additional increases to defense funding must be paired with dollar-for-dollar increases in nondefense funding.


The House Republican allocations may be accessed here, and the markup schedule here. The House Democrat’s press release may be accessed here.

House Education Committee Holds Hearing on FY 25 Education Budget Request

On Tuesday, the House Education and Workforce Full Committee held a nearly four hour hearing on “Examining the Education Department’s Policies, Priorities, and FY 2023 Financial Audit Failure” with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The hearing was highly contentious, with a central focus on the FAFSA rollout, student loan forgiveness, Title IX rule, and college campus protests. Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and her fellow Republicans stood firm on their stance against student loan forgiveness, often questioning the Department of Education’s Constitutional authority. Republicans raised concerns about additional regulations coming from the Department of Education, including Perkins and distance education.  A significant portion of the hearing focused on the protests on college campuses and the new Title IX rule. Other topics included federal workforce return to office, foreign influence on college campuses, transgender athletes, oversight on closed or merge colleges, mental health, illegal immigrants in the school system, homeless students, and IDEA.

Our hearing memo may be accessed here.

Department of Education Guidance on Title IV Discrimination

The Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights issued new guidance through a Dear Colleague Letter to every school district and college in the country, providing examples of Antisemitic discrimination, as well as other forms of hate, that could lead to investigations for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A White House Fact Sheet may be accessed here. The Department of Education guidance may be accessed here.

House Education Committee to Hold Hearing with HHS Secretary

On Wednesday, May 15. at 10:15am Eastern, the House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on the President’s FY 25 Budget Request, with testimony from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

Sec. Becerra testified with the House Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee on March 20 (here), and later that day with the House Ways and Means Committee (here). He testified with the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS Subcommittee on April 16 (here).

The hearing may be viewed here.

Senate Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing on the President's FY 25 Education Budget Request

The Senate Appropriations Committee, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Education” with testimony from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

The hearing may be viewed here. Our memo on the hearing may be accessed here.

Senate Committee to Hold Hearing on Addressing the Shortage of Minority Health Care Professionals and the Maternal Health Crisis

On Thursday, May 2, at 10am Eastern, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a hearing titled, “What Can Congress Do to Address the Severe Shortage of Minority Health Care Professionals and the Maternal Health Crisis?”

The hearing may be viewed here.

Community Project Funding (Earmark) Request Opportunity

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) released earmark guidance and also extended the deadline for Members to submit their requests to the Committee. In a change from FY24, non-profits are no longer eligible in the Transportation-HUD Economic Development Initiative earmark account, though public institutions of higher education (public colleges and universities, including community colleges) are explicitly eligible.

The guidance may be accessed here.

ASAHP’s 2024 Regional Summit Promotes Dialogue Between Academic Institutions and Health Care Industry Partners to Improve Collaboration and Enhance Health Outcomes

Washington, D.C. - The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced that its fourth annual Regional Summit will take place across the country on May 23, 2024. The theme of the 2024 Summit, “Collaboration in Action - Engaging to Build Readiness for Interprofessional Clinical Practice,” aims to identify new strategies for collaboration between the healthcare industry and academic partners. ASAHP’s Regional Summits bring together academic leaders, faculty and health care providers from a variety of professional roles, disciplines, and organizations to share knowledge and best practices with the goal of improving the patient care experience and health outcomes as well as addressing clinician well-being, and health equity.

Rule Requiring Institutions to Provide Students with Geographically Accessible Clinical Opportunities to Go Into Effect July 1

Last Fall, the Department of Education issued a final rule on Financial Responsibility, Administrative Capability, Certification Procedures, Ability To Benefit (ATB). The rule goes into effect on July 1, 2024.

The rule includes language in the Administrative Capability section to add § 668.16(r) to require institutions to provide students with geographically accessible clinical or externship opportunities related to and required for completion of the credential or licensure in a recognized occupation, within 45 days of the completion of other required coursework.

Last Summer, prior to the rule being finalized, ASAHP submitted comments to the Department of Education, as well as joined a joint-comment letter led by the American Council on Education (ACE), both of which expressed concern with this language.

While ASAHP welcomes more accessible clinical opportunities, we informed the Department of Education that a requirement is not the best way to address the issue. An unintended consequence of this proposed language could be that institutions, to ensure compliance, may enroll only the number of students that the institution feels certain will have accessible clinical opportunities, decreasing access to postsecondary enrollment for allied health students at a time when the demand for allied health workers is expanding rapidly.

Unfortunately, the final rule, which goes into effect on July 1 still includes this requirement. Please find below the language included in the final rule:

Department of Education on what experiences the language applies to

This language applies to the clinical or externship experiences that are needed for students to complete their programs. Thus, experiences that occur as part of credential completion, such as those in the third or fourth year of a program or at the end of a program, would be included. It does not apply to post-graduation parts of the career ladder, which include things like the national residency program for graduates from medical school. The reference to how the externship or clinical is related to licensure in a recognized occupation is to note that some licensure requirements state that there must be a clinical or externship completed as part of the credential earned. The result is that residencies, clerkships, and other similar post-graduation experiences are not covered by this requirement.

Department of Education on the 45 day timeframe

The requirement is that institutions provide the students with the opportunity within 45 days of successful completion of other required coursework. That does not mean the experiences must start exactly within 45 days. However, the Department will consider whether a pattern where these experiences start well outside reasonable periods, e.g., offering a spot that starts in a year so the student has an extended gap after finishing their coursework is in fact a sign that an institution is not abiding by this requirement and does not have sufficient spots for clinical or externships and thus should result in a finding of a lack of administrative capability. We decline to adopt a longer timeframe. Making a student wait 90 days to receive their spot and then potentially waiting longer to begin that experience risks delaying their ability to complete their program and begin entering the workforce.”

Department of Education on geographic accessibility

The Department declines to provide a specific set of metrics for measuring what is geographically accessible, as there could be programs on the edge of one commuting zone or another and that different program types could have different expectations for what is geographically accessible. For example, a clinical experience tied to a highly specialized field as part of a graduate program may see a geographically accessible option as one that is in another part of the country. By contrast, a commuting zone concept is likely to be a better fit for certificate programs where students are more likely to be staying close to where they live. The Department also declines to remove the geographically accessible requirement. This is a critical concept to maintain because we do not want institutions to otherwise get out of providing the required clinical or externship options by simply offering students an opportunity that is completely infeasible for them to reach. We also remind commenters that this requirement only applies to precompletion situations, so concerns about how students with medical degrees participate in a national matching program would not be affected.

In terms of assessing geographic accessibility, the Department would consider how accessible distances look very different in rural areas versus urban ones. The level of the credential will also likely affect this consideration. Someone completing a professional degree in a highly specialized field is almost certainly going to have travel longer distances for a clinical and so something quite far away would still be viewed as accessible and in line with their expectations. By contrast, a student completing a 12-month certificate program is not likely expecting to move hundreds of miles away for a clinical experience. Nor would they be completing a credential with a level of specialization such that there may only be a handful of relevant placement options in the country. Preserving the concept of geographic accessibility while recognizing the need for flexibility in how that is considered based upon the credential level, type, and the physical location of the institution is appropriate.

The rule may be accessed here.

2024 ASAHP Election: Call for Candidates

ASAHP's annual election will be conducted this summer. The following positions are open for the 2024 election:

Board of Directors (three-year term) - 3 open positions

Treasurer (two-year term) - 1 open position

Nominations & Elections Committee (two-year term) - 3 open positions

Applications must be submitted here no later than Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Voting will begin Summer 2024.

Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmark) Request Opportunity

The Senate Appropriations Committee released guidance for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests. The general guidance is here, Labor-H guidance is here, the list of Labor-H eligible agencies and accounts is here, the list of T-HUD eligible agencies and accounts is here. While Members set their own deadlines for receiving requests, the Senate Appropriations Committee set a May 13, 2024 deadline for Senators to submit their T-HUD requests, and a May 14, 2024 deadline for Senators to submit their Labor-H requests.

Administration Releases Student Debt Relief Plan, 30 Day Public Comment Period

On Tuesday, the Biden-Harris Administration released a preliminary rule on student debt relief for up to 30 million borrowers. The proposed rules will be formally published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, April 17 for a 30-day public comment period. In the coming weeks, the Administration is expected to release a second package of proposed rules, which will include a proposal for borrowers experiencing hardship.

The preliminary rule released Tuesday is here and the proposed rule released on Wednesday is here. A fact sheet from the Administration is available here. A press release from the Department of Education is available here.

House Appropriations Hearing on the Department of Education's FY 25 Budget Request

The House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee held a wide-ranging and sometimes heated hearing on the Department of Education's budget request which focused on the Department’s rocky rollout of its new FAFSA application form. Several Republican Appropriators questioned whether FSA’s unprecedented loan forgiveness activities caused staff to be moved away from the implementation of the new FAFSA form, causing delays and challenges for institutions seeking to provide students with their financial aid awards. In addition, there were questions about the Department’s Title IX rulemaking and the role of transgender students in women college sports, challenges to free speech on college campuses, as well as the need for accountability with the funds directed to the Department.

Our hearing summary can be found here.

Be Heard: Complete the ASAHP Regional Summit Pre-Summit Survey!

The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) is dedicated to promoting dialogue between academic institutions and their health care industry partners to improve collaboration and enhance health outcomes. Yearly ASAHP Summits bring together leaders, faculty and providers in-person concurrently at member institution “hubs” which culminate in a virtual “harvest” session between hub participants who engage in a national-level conversation.

Upcoming Webinar: So how are you feeling TODAY?

So how are you feeling TODAY? webinar is hosted by ASAHP's Clinical Education Committee. The webinar will address some of the causes of stress and burnout in today's world. We will then look at what self-care and resiliency may look like for us to help overcome and thrive in today's world.

Webinar Objectives:
- Stress: what causes it?
- Burnout: what is it and what are the symptoms of it?
- Self-care/Resiliency – suggestions to address and thrive in times of craziness

Learn more about the speakers and register here.

Webinar: How AI can help us become better humans, clinicians, educators, and administrators

AI tools are leading a necessary shift in how educators teach and learn. After defining AI in the context of higher education, this webinar will review the purpose, ethics, and fairness of AI, including the ethical and responsible application of this far-reaching tool. Best practices to unlock Human-AI potential in higher education will be discussed, including time for Q & A with our expert presenters from Liaison International and Weber State University.

ASAHP and Friends of HRSA Urge Robust HRSA Funding for FY 25

ASAHP was one of 84 members of the Friends of HRSA coalition and other supporting organizations that urged congressional appropriators to include at least $10.5 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

The letter to Congressional appropriators may be accessed here.

Congress Passes FY 24 Funding Package

Congress passed and President Biden on Saturday signed the second and final tranche of FY 24 funding bills. The six bill package consists of a bit over 70 percent of annual discretionary funding and includes the Labor-HHS-ED bill.

The House passed the funding package on Friday under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage. Due to absences, 280 votes were required, and the House passed the bill 286-134. Just 101 Republicans supported the measure, less than a majority of the majority, with 112 opposed. 185 Democrats supported the package, with 22 opposed. The Senate passed the bill on Saturday around 2am in a 74-24 vote.

The bill provides a 3 percent increase for defense funding and flat-funding for nondefense discretionary programming. See our previous post here, and the links below for more details.

The House and Senate are both scheduled to be on recess for the next two weeks, returning the week of April 8th. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has previously said that aid to Ukraine and Israel would be a priority for the House once it wrapped up FY 24 funding.

Text of the FY 24 funding package is here. The Labor-H explanatory statement is here, and the Labor-H Congressionally Directed Spending is here.

A six page Labor-H bill summary from Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats is here.

A 10 page summary from the House Appropriations Committee Democrats on Labor-H is here.

A 24 page summary from the House Appropriations Committee Democrats on the six-bill package is here.

A press release from the House Appropriations Committee Republicans is here.

A 35-page summary from the House Appropriations Committee Republicans is here.

A press release and summary from the Senate Appropriations Committee is here and here.