From June 26-29, the Austin Chamber of Commerce led a delegation of 70 members of the business community, elected officials, and advocates to Washington DC to advocate for the Central Texas region. One of the major priorities for the region is investment in education by the federal government.

During meetings with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, the House Committee on Education and Workforce, the Department of Education, the Budget Committees, and Congressman and Senators from Texas, the delegation advocated for smart investment by Congress and the administration by supporting:

Employer Participation in Repayment Act – Supporting tax credits for employers who assist employees with student loan repayments.

Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses Act – Enabling $75 million for free accelerated technology courses for veterans.

Reauthorizing Perkins Act – Ensuring that CTE programs prepare students for locally relevant, high-skilled and wage jobs, post-secondary degrees, or certificates and allowing for flexibility at the local and state level.

Reauthorize the Higher Education Act – To include fully supporting Pell Grants and restoring year round status for these grants, allow institutions to set lower borrowing limits for federal student loans, continue to simplify and streamline the FAFSA, and offer work-based learning programs with tax credits.

To continue to grow the efforts of the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Direct to College 70 (DTC70) program, we urged Congress to continue to allow, and to expand, a free flow of data for programs like DTC70. It is crucial to allow data access for programs like DTC70 and Summer Melt so we can continue to understand how to get more kids to enroll in college so they are properly credentialed for jobs in our new economy.

The outcomes of our meetings were promising as Congress is listening to our group, and others like us when it comes to simplifying the FAFSA, allowing for local flexibility, and the importance of understanding how to drive college enrollment through the use of data, and investing in our students. There is a lot of work to be done, and the Austin Chamber will continue to advocate on behalf of these issues, and the region, at the local, state, and federal level.