From: Heather Valentine
Subject: ALERT - Updated Talking Points on Novice Language
September 7, 2005
Below you will find updated talking points on the 10 percent novice set aside language in the House bill. While the Senate is not including this language in its version of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, it is still important that we continue to get as many House Members to sign on the Cole/Payne letter as possible. Please see the Council website at www.coenet.us for an updated list of who has signed on (the list is updated on the website at 3 PM daily) and the text of the Cole/Payne letter.
- The House is expected to mark-up the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in October (although because of the devastation of Katrina it is expected the floor schedule will shift some and the mark up of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act could be delayed).
- The bill under consideration is HR 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act.
- This bill contains a provision called the "Novice Provision" which sets aside 10% of each year's TRIO grant money for new applicants. This set side means that your district may not keep all of its TRIO dollars. Dollars from your district could go to unproven programs in other districts and states.
- Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) are circulating a letter to oppose this Novice provision. Currently there are 173 Members on the Cole/Payne letter, including 50 Republicans. This list continues to grow daily.
- The Novice Applicant provision threatens current TRIO students. With TRIO programs only authorized for FY 2006 at previous year levels, the novice applicant set-aside will amount to a loss of money for existing TRIO programs, and an ensuing loss of educational services for existing TRIO students in our area.
- According to the Education & the Workforce Committee website, those supporting the 10 percent set aside feel that "the current award process gives an unfair advantage to existing programs, whether or not they are the best qualified applicants." This is simply not true. TRIO has a higher rate of new programs than any other program administered under the Department of Education.
- In the last six years, 26 percent of new applicants for TRIO programs received grants. (In 2005, there were 402 new applicants in the Student Support Services competition and 78 (19%) were funded. In 2004, there was no competition for TRIO funds. In 2003, there were 758 new applicants in UB/McNair competition and 152 (20%) were funded. In 2002, there were 761 new applicants in Talents Search and EOC competition and 75 (10%) were funded. In 2001, there were 406 new applicants in Student Support Service competition and 165 (41%) were funded. In 1999, there were 575 new applicants in UB/McNair competition and 287 (50%) were funded).
- In any given year, there are approximately 2,700 operating TRIO projects across the country. Since 2001, more than 550 NEW TRIO projects have come on board. The TRIO community is not a closed community with unfair barriers to participation. Rather, it is a dynamic community with a healthy turnover of projects and personnel. The Novice Provision, rather than adding healthy turnover to the community, would cause massive disruption of services to students.