The DC Digest

In Today's Issue:

House Votes on the Heroes Act Today
Most Colleges and Universities Expect International Student Enrollment to Decline in the Coming Academic Year
Senator Schumer Authors an Op-Ed, "U.S. Needs Bipartisan Push for Scientific Research After Coronavirus"
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program Updated its COVID-19 FAQs to Include More Information
Vice President Mike Pence, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx Spoke About Reopening Colleges
Tweet of the Week - 70 Years of NSF!

HOUSE VOTES ON HEREOS ACT TODAY
The U.S. House of Representatives is voting today on its Heroes Act, a proposal for a fourth coronavirus relief bill totaling roughly $3 trillion. While the legislation does not provide a significant increase in funding levels for university research, the top highlights for research in the Heroes Act include:

$4.721 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
$125 million for the National Science Foundation (NSF)
$400 million for the Census Bureau to account for COVID-19 related costs to the 2020 Census
$50 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Additionally, the legislation provides private colleges and universities for some portion of the $8.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Education "to defray expenses they have incurred in responding to the pandemic."

Need a Hero?

COLLEGES ANTICIPATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT TO DECLINE IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR
According to a new survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE), most colleges and universities anticipate that international enrollment will decline in the coming year due to the coronavirus. Mirka Martel, IIE's head of research, evaluation and learning, said on a call with reporters that 88% of higher education institutions expect a decline and 30% are worried about a "substantial decrease." This report adds on to existing concerns that student access to visas and visa processing will also have an adverse effect on international enrollment in the next academic year.

Limbo Land

SCHUMER'S OP-ED ON BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
On May 14, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) published an op-ed in partnership with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI). The article emphasizes that COVID-19 has illuminated an ongoing nation-wide underinvestment in science, technological discovery and the ability to turn fundamental research into innovations produced domestically. The op-ed promotes the Endless Frontiers Act as a key solution to renewed national investment in public research and development to strengthen the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Endless Frontiers

SEVP UPDATED COVID-19 FAQS
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) provided an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with regard to SEVP stakeholders during COVID-19. The document includes new information and guidance on school transfers, 1-20 forms, recoding time spent studying outside the U.S. in SEVIS and specific guidance on pages 10-11 on Optional Practical Training (OPT) eligibility.

New FAQ

PENCE, DEVOS AND BIRX ADDRESS REOPENING COLLEGES
Vice President Mike Pence, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx spoke on Wednesday with a group of higher education leaders about how to bring students back to campus this fall. Their discussion revolved around the guidance for colleges released by President Trump and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March on responding to COVID-19.

A Discussion on Guidance

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