Join Congressional Dear Colleague Letters for Student Aid and Workforce Funding
Each spring, members of Congress can sign public letters to the Appropriations Committee supporting programmatic requests for key national programs (separate from earmarks). Community college advocates are requesting that their members of Congress sign these letters when they circulate again in FY27, and submit each program with a high priority in the internal Appropriations Committee submission database. Congressional offices may click the internal Quill links to view the FY27 letters and sign on.
Pell Grants, Federal Work Study (FWS), and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
Pell Grants: Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI) are leading a letter urging an increase in funding for Pell without making cuts to Pell eligibilty. FY27 letter. Quill Link. Contacts: Ben Strand (Hirono) [email protected] and Moira Lenehan (Reed) [email protected]. Deadline: Monday, April 20.
SEOG and FWS: Senators Merkley (D-OR) and Hirono (D-HI) led 27 senators on the FY26 letter supporting inflation-adjusted levels of $966.3 million for SEOG and $1.31 billion for FWS. The FY27 Letter asks for the same funding increases. FY27 Quill Link. Contact: Becca Damante (Merkley) [email protected]. Deadline: Friday, April 17.
Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCCTG)
- Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) support funding for SCCTG. FY27 Letter Draft
Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led 40 senators on the FY26 letter supporting an increase Contact: Brian Steele (Blumenthal)
Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Todd Young (R-IN) led 31 senators on the FY26 letter supporting an increase to $810 million. Staff contact: Moira Lenehan (Reed)
Apprenticeships, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Formula and National Employment and Training, Adult Education and Literacy, Wagner/Peyser Employment Services, Dislocated Worker National Reserve, Vocational Rehabilitation, Workforce Data Quality Initiative Grant, Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations, Sector Partnerships, and Career and Support Services.
Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) led 38 senators on the FY26 letter supporting similar increases. Contact: Brian Steele (Blumenthal)
Postsecondary Student Success Grants (PSSG)
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) led 11 senators on the FY26 letter supporting $100 million. Contact: Elizabeth Hill.
Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program (Basic Needs Grants)
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) led 40 senators on the FY26 letter supporting $45 million. Contact: Adrienne Epstein
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led 28 senators on the FY26 letter for robust funding. Contact: Ben Rhodeside
TRIO Programs (Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, etc.)
Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) led 46 senators (39 Democrats and 5 Republicans) on the FY26 letter urging robust funding. Contacts: Annette Christie (Warnock) and Ron Anderson (Cassidy)
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
Senators Jack Reed (DRI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) led 37 senators (33 Democrats and 4 Republicans) on the FY26 letter supporting GEAR UP. Contact: Moira Lenehan (Reed) and Anna Wilson (Cornyn)
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs),
All Programs Above: Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) led 19 senators on the FY26 letter supporting increases to each of the programs above. Contact: Ben Strand (Hirono)
International Education and Foreign Language Studies (Higher Education Act Title VI and Fulbright-Hays)
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Todd Young (R-IN) led 22 senators on the FY26 letter supporting robust funding. Contact: Gabrielle Schechter (Schatz) and Burke Miller (Young)