Resources on Supreme Court Decisions Regarding Race-based Admissions and Student Loan Forgiveness

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) would like to bring attention to additional information and resources regarding recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court that will impact institutions of higher education.

•  ACE Issue Brief Explores Implications of Supreme Court Race in Admissions Ruling
•  CollegeBoard U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Race in Admissions
•  Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Actions to Promote Educational Opportunity and Diversity in Colleges and Universities
• Remarks by President Biden on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Affirmative Action
•  Secretary Cardona Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on College Affirmative Action Programs
• Statement by Vice President Harris on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina
•  Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. V. President and Fellows of Harvard College
•   The Supreme Court Speaks: Understanding the Implications of Race-Conscious Admission Decision
•  "What to Know About Race-Conscious Admissions"
•  "What the Supreme Court Rejection of Affirmative Action Means"
•   Biden’s Loan Forgiveness Program Fails Supreme Court Test. What Now?
•  Biden, President of The United States, Et Al. V. Nebraska Et Al.
•  Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
•  Prepare for Student Loan Payments To Restart FAQ
•  Student Loan Repayment Toolkit

Call to Action!

NCDA MEMBERS: Tell Your Story!

At a time when our nation is facing unprecedented challenges, the wide range of services that NCDA members provide will be important factors in helping individuals across the age span.

Congress is often considering proposals that would significantly increase annual funding by billions of dollars for a number of programs, including:

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Programs (Adult, Dislocated Worker, State Formula Grants, Youth)
• Employment Services Grants
• Apprenticeship Grants
• Native American Programs
• Ex-Offender Activities
• Youth Build
• JobCorps
• Career and Technical Education State Grants
• Adult Education and Family Literacy State Grants
• K-12 Education
• Higher Education

Telling your story of the clients you serve and the services you provide will likely be the best way of letting potential clients, your community, and elected leaders know of the services you and other NCDA members provide and at the same time make clear the need for legislation and budgets to fund them. It is very important that you share information about the clients or populations you serve, the services you provide, techniques you use, and successes you have achieved with professional colleagues and your representatives at the state and federal levels.

Contact your members of Congress and let them know how important it is that your efforts are properly resourced as they look to pass legislation to help the workforce. Use the information on these NCDA Advocacy pages to respond to the call to action!

Monthly Advocacy Reports, provided by LobbyIt

• LobbyIt January 2024 Report

Advocacy News

• [February 2024] The AREA Act, which would reauthorize the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act, has been sent from the Committee for full Senate consideration, and it has a good chance to pass. View S.3392:AREA Act

• 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 873  Expressing support for designating November 2023 as ‘‘National Career Development Month’’

• [October 25, 2023] The National Career Development Association (NCDA), the largest organization serving career practitioners and educators globally, affirms our alignment with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in their #UnpaidisUnfair campaign calling for federal action to ensure all internships are paid. As highlighted in the NACE position statement, “students who take part in paid internships receive more job offers and garner higher starting salaries than those who participate in unpaid internships,” which is an equity issue given that “women, Black, Hispanic, and first-generation students were underrepresented in paid internships” (NACE Position Statement 2023). This issue not only impacts the career development of the students and clients NCDA career professionals serve, but many such professionals also engage in internships themselves. Thus, NCDA reaffirms our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and advocacy (DEIBA) through our alignment and solidarity with NACE on this issue. The NCDA Government Relations Committee will bring attention to tracking and supporting the Federal Intern Protection Act. Further, NCDA as a whole, through our Board of Directors and Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion Committee, will continue to advocate for equity in our profession and for the students and clients we serve.

• NCDA Executive Director Deneen Pennington, President Sharon Givens, and Public Policy (Government Relations) Committee Chair Diana Bailey met with LobbyIt on the Hill for several key meetings in September 2022. The first meeting was with the new labor staffer for Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a key voice on career development issues, to discuss NCDA’s policy priorities. They then met directly next with Congressman GT Thompson, to discuss shared efforts on the Counseling for Career Choice Act, COTA Act, and National Career Development Month Resolution, as well as his goals to elevate career development next Congress (especially focusing on retired people and those re-entering from the criminal justice system). The group also spoke with staff for Rep. Marionnette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), the Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee’s Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee. Her staff confirmed that they are focused in on a WIOA deal early next Congress. Overall, this was a great opportunity for NCDA to continue to raise their profile on the Hill and build support for initiatives.

• NCDA hosted a virtual briefing in April 2021 on the Need to Invest in Career Development along with the NCDA 2020 Legislative Award Winners, Representative Langevin (D-RI) and Thompson (R-PA). This was the association’s chance to highlight its work with the Representatives who authored the Counseling for Career Choice Act! Watch the recorded event here.

• LobbyIt staff continue to arrange and facilitate meetings with Members of Congress.These meetings often result from communications with the Members of Congress by NCDA members or GR committee members. They are very helpful, because they give us the opportunity to explain NCDA’s diverse membership and its mission and services, and to ask for the legislative and funding support needed to continue those services. These meetings are the result of grassroots advocacy at work!