How vaccines could cause trouble for international students — Biden calls transgender athlete laws 'bullying' — NEA reaches tentative agreement with staff organization

Presented by Sallie Mae®: Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Education examines the latest news in education politics and policy.

Jun 28, 2021 View in browser   By Bianca Quilantan Presented by Sallie Mae® With help from Lauraine Genota and Juan Perez Jr. This newsletter is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Education policy newsletter, Morning Education. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. THE VACCINE QUANDARY — After a tumultuous year full of pandemic-era uncertainties for students who come to the U.S. for higher education, 90 percent of colleges across the country said they plan to offer in-person study to international students this fall, according to the Institute of International Education. But despite eased travel restrictions and U.S. consulates ramping up their visa process, confusion over vaccine policies may pose a significant hurdle for international students. — More than 500 colleges across the country have a policy requiring vaccines for at least some students or employees, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education's database. While these policies vary, the three FDA-authorized vaccines — those by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — may be out of reach for students now outside the U.S. — And only eight vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use — including, in addition to the FDA-authorized options, AstraZeneca's shots, as well as those of the China-based Sinopharm and Sinovac. Some students who have already been vaccinated with a different shot are worried about having to be vaccinated again once they get to the United States. — Some schools with large international student populations, such as Carnegie Mellon University and New York University, have said they'll count any Covid-19 vaccine that has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. Many colleges are also providing vaccination appointments on campus for anyone unable to get them in their country of residence, and others said they'll assist international students in getting the vaccine after their arrival. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 28. WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. Let's grab coffee. Ping me at bquilantan@politico.com to chat. Send tips to my colleagues Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com, Michael Stratford at mstratford@politico.com and Lauraine Genota at lgenota@politico.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro. NOW INTRODUCING: Daniel Payne, our POLITICO fellow, will be joining our team starting this week. Say "hi" and send him tips at dpayne@politico.com, and follow him on Twitter. A message from Sallie Mae®: The doors to a quality higher education should be open to every student. Sallie Mae is committed to expanding college access and improving graduation rates in underserved communities. Our scholarships help high school seniors afford college and help current college students at risk of not completing their program. See how Sallie Mae makes sense.   By the Numbers POLITCO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT — About 1.1 million students from abroad attended college in the U.S. in the 2019-2020 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education . And 43 percent of schools reported an increase in their international student applications for the 2021-22 academic year, which IIE said is "almost double" the number of increases reported last year. — "Universities are prepping for a strong recovery in international education enrollment as they emerge from the pandemic," said Mirka Martel, IIE's head of research, evaluation and learning. "We anticipate the recovery to come in phases, tied to vaccinations and travel guidelines." — IIE, which tracks international student enrollment, said while vaccination rates in the United States are on the rise, institutions will still continue to grapple with "variable vaccination rates worldwide," especially with outbreaks in India, Latin America and elsewhere. — Vaccine diplomacy could be a vital mission colleges and universities take on this fall, said Allan Goodman, IIE president. And vaccines could be an incentive for students to come to the United States. "We could vaccinate every incoming international student," Goodman said. "For many students coming here, it might get them a vaccination years before they might be eligible in their home country." — A May 2021 QS survey found that 68 percent of prospective international students would take the vaccine if it was offered to them and 41 percent said they would get vaccinated if their university required it. International Students People stand in to register for Covid-19 vaccines during a special vaccination drive in Hyderabad, India. | Mahesh Kumar/AP Photo U.S. CONSULATES IN INDIA LOOK TO RESUME STUDENT VISA INTERVIEWS — Just weeks ago, U.S. colleges were worried about what their Indian international student enrollment would look like. India, which sends the second-most international students annually to the U.S. after China, was hit with a devastating Covid surge this spring, leading to travel restrictions, closed banks and shuttered consulates. — "Unfortunately, those factors affected our ability to provide appointments for students in need of visas to travel for the start of the summer and fall semesters at U.S. institutions of higher education," said Don Heflin, head of consular services in India, during a Facebook Live this month. — But the consulates "intend to start an intensive two months of interviewing student visa applicants July 1," Heflin said. Thousands of appointments for the interviews opened up on June 14 for dates in July and August. The goal, he added, is to interview "as many students as we did in the summer of 2019, the last normal year."     White House Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks at a Covid vaccination clinic in New Mexico. | Susan Montoya Bryan/AP Photo THE COLLEGE PLEDGE — Hundreds of colleges across the country have signed on to participate in President Joe Biden's "Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge," meaning they've committed to engaging their students, faculty and staff, organizing their college communities and ensuring vaccine access. WHITE HOUSE BETS ON FREEBIES: To rope in more college students and younger Americans to get the vaccine, second gentleman Doug Emhoff on a press call last week announced incentives for students, like free Panera bagels and Chipotle burritos. The delivery service Gopuff also has promised to give $100,000 worth of credits to some community colleges and universities. — "Less than half of people age 18-24 have one shot," Emhoff said. "The reality is, many younger Americans have felt like Covid is not something that impacts them and they have been resistant to getting the shot." Transgender Students BIDEN: TRANSGENDER ATHLETE BILLS ARE 'BULLYING' — In remarks delivered last week about Pride month, the president called recently passed laws affecting transgender students "some of the ugliest, most un-American laws I've seen." — "Many of them target transgender children, seeking to prevent them from receiving the appropriate medical care; for using the bathroom at high schools … where they'll be most safe; even preventing them from joining sports teams with their classmates," he said. "This is nothing more than bullying disguised as legislation." — "These young people aren't hurting anyone, but these laws are hurting them," Biden added. And he spoke approvingly of his Justice Department's move to file statements of interest in court cases battling against the restrictions, calling the laws unconstitutional. SCOTUS TODAY: We're keeping an eye on the Supreme Court and whether it will take up the legal battle over transgender students' right to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. Gavin Grimm, a transgender man, sued his school board in 2015 over its policy that barred him from using the boys restroom. Gloucester County School Board in Virginia had implemented a policy that forced Grimm to use unisex restroom facilities.   SUBSCRIBE TO WOMEN RULE : The Women Rule newsletter explores how women, in Washington and beyond, shape the world, and how the news — from the pandemic to the latest laws coming out of statehouses — impacts women. With expert policy analysis, incisive interviews and revelatory recommendations on what to read and whom to watch, this is a must-read for executives, professionals and rising leaders to understand how what happens today affects the future for women and girls. Subscribe to the Women Rule newsletter today.     Unions NEA STAFF UNION ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: The National Education Association Staff Organization announced this weekend that it reached a tentative agreement with NEA, the nation's largest teachers union. If ratified by NEASO members, the agreement would ward off a strike, which the employee group had already authorized, Juan reported this month. — "NEA and NEASO are pleased to announce that a tentative agreement on a successor contract was reached on Saturday, June 26, 2021," the groups said in a statement. "Both teams will review the agreement and seek formal ratification by the NEASO membership and NEA leadership in the coming days." — NEASO, which represents NEA employees working at the union's Washington D.C. headquarters, took its battle public this month when it published a new website that accused management of seeking to reduce staff salaries by 5 percent, hike health care costs and block retirement earnings. Ninety-eight percent of NEASO members voted to authorize the strike, the union said. Report Roundup — FutureEd released its "Covid Relief Playbook" that looks to help policymakers make effective use of Covid stimulus funds. The playbook has "18 research-based educational interventions proven to enhance instructional quality, school climate, student attendance or student achievement." A message from Sallie Mae®: The pathway to success, more equal opportunities, and economic mobility starts with a higher education. On average, college graduates earn 80% more per week than high school graduates. A college degree can open the door to socioeconomic mobility for students from all backgrounds. That's why Sallie Mae doesn't just provide private student loans, we offer scholarships and other free resources to help people realize their dreams. That includes minority populations who traditionally face greater obstacles to achieving higher education goals. See how Sallie Mae makes sense of college financing for all.   Syllabus — Obama-era Education Secretary: 'Betsy DeVos was a disaster for education': Yahoo Finance — Tampa teens reported a teacher's sexual comments. Then a student's life was upended.: The Tampa Bay Times — A Third Grader Drew a Rocket That Looked Like a Penis. She Was Handcuffed and Removed From School.: Vice   SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.       Follow us on Twitter Delece Smith-Barrow @DeleceWrites Michael Stratford @mstratford Bianca Quilantan @biancaquilan Juan Perez Jr. @PerezJr   Follow us

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Ohio’s very expensive special election — House Dems hold off on retirement — 2024 hopefuls lay groundwork in Iowa

Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Score is your guide to the year-round campaign cycle.

Jun 28, 2021 View in browser   By Stephanie Murray Editor's Note: Weekly Score is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Campaigns policy newsletter, Morning Score. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. Quick Fix — The OH-11 special election is shaping up to be the most expensive House race of the off-year. — House Democrats are retiring at a lower-than-expected rate, giving the party a morale boost ahead of the midterms. — Republicans who might run for president in 2024 are flocking to Iowa for public visits and behind-the-scenes meetings, even as former President Donald Trump weighs a comeback bid. Good Monday morning. Email me at smurray@politico.com and follow me on Twitter at @stephanie_murr. Email the rest of the POLITICO Campaigns team at sshepard@politico.com, zmontellaro@politico.com, amutnick@politico.com and jarkin@politico.com. Follow them on Twitter: @POLITICO_Steve, @ZachMontellaro, @allymutnick and @JamesArkin. Days until the TX-06 special election runoff: 29 Days until the OH-11 and OH-15 special election primaries: 36 Days until the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections and OH-11 and OH-15 special elections: 127 Days until the 2022 midterm elections: 498 Days until the 2024 election: 1,227 Midterms are a little over a year away, but we're already planning the re-launch of Election Forecast, where we predict — after obsessive research! — who's the favorite to win each House and Senate race. We're planning new features, and we want your help. What's missing? What could we do better? If you have opinions and are willing to have a 20-30 minute call with one of our project leaders, let us know in our one-minute survey. TopLine JUST SPECIAL — A special election in Ohio is shaping up to be the most expensive of the off-year cycle. Candidates running in the ultra-crowded race to replace now-HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge have spent more than $1.4 million on TV, radio and digital ads. The OH-11 special election primary is five weeks away, but it has already outpaced spending in last month's New Mexico special election and the fast-approaching runoff in Texas' 6th Congressional District — despite the fact that the seat isn't competitive in the general election. Ohio's other special election this summer, in the swingier-but-still-red-leaning 15th Congressional District, doesn't even come close. The 13-way primary race is a showdown between moderate and progressive Democrats, and it's a flashback to 2016. Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate Nina Turner has led in fundraising and the polls, while Hillary Clinton is backing Shontel Brown. The district represents most of the majority-black precincts between Cleveland and Akron, along with parts of Cuyahoga County and Summit County. Candidates running in the Democratic primary have spent more than $1.4 million on TV and radio ads so far, according to AdImpact. That's more than the $1.3 million in the special election between Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Republican Mark Moores. In the Texas special election to replace the late Rep. Ron Wright, both sides have spent a collective $996,000 so far, though a Republican-on-Republican runoff looms next month. Turner has spent the most on ads: She has pumped more than $1 million into TV, radio and digital spots, while Brown has spent $355,000. Right now, Turner is running a 30-second ad focused on Medicare For All, which features her late mother. Brown is on the air with an ad featuring her mother and pitches her as a "Democrat's Democrat," perhaps a dig at Turner. Despite the windfall in Fudge's old district, the Ohio election is very unlikely to shrink Democrats' majority in the House. President Joe Biden won the dark-blue district with nearly 80 percent of the vote last year, and so did Fudge. Ohio has two special elections slated for Aug. 3. The contentious 11-way primary race to replace former Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) has only generated $479,000 on the airwaves — mostly from Stivers himself, who has used some of his leftover funds to boost state Rep. Jeff LaRue, his desired successor. The district includes parts of Columbus, along with Athens and Wilmington, and Trump — who endorsed coal company executive Mike Carey — won it with 56 percent of the vote last year.   SUBSCRIBE TO WOMEN RULE : The Women Rule newsletter explores how women, in Washington and beyond, shape the world, and how the news — from the pandemic to the latest laws coming out of statehouses — impacts women. With expert policy analysis, incisive interviews and revelatory recommendations on what to read and whom to watch, this is a must-read for executives, professionals and rising leaders to understand how what happens today affects the future for women and girls. Subscribe to the Women Rule newsletter today.     Down the Ballot STAY A WHILE — House Democrats have received a morale boost ahead of the 2022 midterms: Fewer members have retired than expected so far, POLITICO's Ally Mutnick and Sarah Ferris reported. Only six House Democrats have announced they will leave their seats this cycle. The number is expected to go up, especially when redistricting gets into full swing. But House departures are still lower than expected for a party that is likely to lose the House majority next year, if history is any guide. GETTING IN — Author J.D. Vance plans to jump into the Ohio Senate primary as early as this week, Axios' Mike Allen reported. Vance will launch his campaign from a factory and advised local reporters about a "special announcement" he plans to make at a rally on Thursday. Vance will join a crowded and well-funded Republican primary, which includes state Treasurer Josh Mandel, former state party chair Jane Timken, businessperson Bernie Moreno and investment banker Mike Gibbons. — Arizona Republican Steve Gaynor launched a campaign for governor on Friday, the Arizona Republic's Lacey Latch wrote. Gaynor is a businessperson who ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2018. Gaynor joins a fast-growing Republican primary, which includes former Rep. Matt Salmon, former TV anchor Kari Lake, state Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson and state Treasurer Kimberly Yee. Speaking of Salmon, he will name Tom Hatten as his campaign chairman today. Hatten is the founder of Arizona-based Mountainside Fitness and considered running for governor himself earlier this year. THE CASH DASH — Fundraising tactics used by political groups on either side of the aisle disproportionately target older Americans, The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher reported. Donations can total upwards of $10,000, more than many of the people giving the cash can afford, and have sparked a debate over the ethics of online fundraising. Some strategies include "faux bill notices and official-looking correspondence; bogus offers to match donations and hidden links to unsubscribe; and prechecked boxes that automatically repeat donations." — Toyota is the top donor to Republicans who objected to certifying the 2020 election results, Axios' Lachlan Markay reported. Toyota gave $55,000 to 37 Republicans who challenged the election results. In the wake of the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, some corporations paused donations to Republican lawmakers who promoted baseless claims about the election. "We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification," a Toyota spokesperson said. — A trio of House Democrats launched a PAC to protect incumbents from primary challenges, NBC's Leigh Ann Caldwell. Team Blue PAC was created by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Terri Sewell (D-Ala.). "Because the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, doesn't engage in primaries and focuses its resources on members in the most competitive districts, Team Blue PAC will help those who might be in safe seats for the party but facing a primary challenger," Caldwell wrote. RONJOHN WATCH— Sen. Ron Johnson told the Wisconsin Republican Party's state convention he is "panicked" about the state of the country. Johnson has not said whether he will seek another term, but walked on stage to chants of "six more years," The Capital Times' Jessie Opoien wrote. Johnson criticized Republicans for letting their politics become too national and called on the party to "run candidates at every level of public office" and build their ranks at the local level. DAY IN COURT — The Biden administration is taking Georgia to court over its new voter restrictions, which were supported and signed into law by Republicans. Attorney General Merrick Garland alleges the new rules were "enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of Black Georgians to vote on account of their race or color, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act," POLITICO's Betsy Woodruff Swan and Zach Montellaro wrote. More lawsuits could be coming — Garland said the Department of Justice is tracking new voting laws in other states. BALLOT BATTLE — The fight over Pennsylvania's proposed election bill is happening on party lines. Republican state lawmakers plan to pass the bill, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has said he will veto it. But what the bill would actually do is more nuanced, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jonathan Lai wrote. Democrats have derided the bill as voter suppression, but "the ID requirements are weaker than what other states have enacted, it would codify things like mail ballot drop boxes into law, and create more explicit rules for 'curing' ballots on which voters made minor mistakes." — Arizona state House lawmakers approved language that would curtail Secretary of State Katie Hobbs' powers as part of a budget bill, The Washington Post's Elise Viebeck reported. The language lawmakers passed on a party-line vote includes election restrictions, and will soon reach GOP Gov. Doug Ducey's desk. The language limiting Hobbs' power is slated to expire at the end of her term. Hobbs is a Democrat, and has been critical of the state's "audit" of the 2020 election. WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT — A bizarre scheme to gather dirt on Democrats and moderate Republicans is playing out in several states, The New York Times' Mark Mazzetti and Adam Goldman reported. The heiress to the Gore-Tex fortune is among those who financed an unusual spy operation, where a pair of conservatives sought to infiltrate Democratic and moderate Republican circles. Beau Maier and Sofia LaRocca posed as Democratic activists in an attempt to gather damaging information on those who could pose a threat to Trump's far-right agenda. CAPITOL FALLOUT — Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden spent thousands of dollars in campaign cash to visit Washington, D.C. at the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, The Daily Beast's Roger Sollenberger wrote. Van Orden was spotted on the Capitol grounds in photos from the insurrection, and campaign finance records show he spent $4,000 on transportation and hotel costs for himself, his wife and a campaign staffer. Van Orden lost his 2020 bid against Democratic Rep. Ron Kind and declared in April he is running again this cycle. WHERE ARE THEY NOW — Robert Catron, who advised then-Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.), was indicted on election fraud charges last week, The Virginian-Pilot's Jane Harper reported. Catron's indictment means four people associated with Taylor's 2018 campaign have been charged, though Heather Guillot, Lauren Creekmore Peabody and Roberta Marciano made plea deals and were charged with misdemeanors. The charges are related to a scandal where Taylor aides allegedly forged signatures to get an independent candidate on the ballot to siphon votes from Taylor's Democratic challenger, now-Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.).   SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     Presidential Big Board THE HAWKEYE STATE — The 2024 presidential hopefuls are doing a lot more than making public visits to Iowa, POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt reported , even as Trump weighs another presidential bid. The slate of potential candidates are meeting privately with influential GOP leaders and strategists as they lay the groundwork for presidential campaigns. Iowa Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann has met with former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, for example, and prominent conservative Bob Vander Plaats has spoken with former Vice President Mike Pence. TRUMP TRAIL — Trump played the hits during his Ohio rally, his first big-scale appearance after losing the White House last fall. The rally was billed as an opportunity to attack the Republicans who voted for impeachment, but the former president instead talked up points that appeal to his diehard base, POLITICO's Meridith McGraw reported. Trump hit Vice President Kamala Harris on her visit to the southern border, emphasized false claims that the election was stolen and even referenced Clinton. Several rally-goers said they hope Trump will run for president again in 2024. CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY — "I literally own & live with 15 rescue cats. Do I sound like a run-of-the-mill Republican to you?" — Curtis Sliwa, the New York City Republican nominee for mayor.   Follow us on Twitter Steven Shepard @politico_steve Stephanie Murray @stephanie_murr James Arkin @jamesarkin Zach Montellaro @zachmontellaro Ally Mutnick @allymutnick   Follow us

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How Biden’s ‘targeted’ student loan relief stacks up — Cardona back in the hot seat this week — GOP bill targets D.C. schools over critical race theory

Presented by Sallie Mae®: Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Education examines the latest news in education politics and policy.

Jun 21, 2021 View in browser   By Michael Stratford Presented by Sallie Mae® This newsletter is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Education policy newsletter, Morning Education. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. STUDENT LOAN PRESSURES: The Biden administration has been grappling for months over whether to accede to progressive demands to cancel large swaths federal student loan debt. And more immediately, the White House and Education Department are debating if pandemic relief for 40 million student loan borrowers should be extended beyond October. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 17, 2021 in Washington, D.C. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images As the administration weighs those major decisions, Education Department officials have said they're focused on improving the existing debt cancellation programs targeted at certain populations of borrowers: those who have become severely disabled or were defrauded by their college, and public service workers. A new trove of federal data sheds some light on how the Biden administration is approaching debt relief for these students: PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS: In 2007, Congress created a program meant to wipe out federal student loan debt for borrowers who pay their loans for 10 years while working in public service. But it's been plagued by problems in recent years. — What Trump did: The first cohort of borrowers became eligible for forgiveness during the Trump administration, which had by then repeatedly proposed eliminating the program. The Education Department rejected the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of borrowers who applied for loan forgiveness. By roughly the end of the Trump era, approximately 6,000 borrowers had their student loans forgiven. — Biden's record so far: Fewer than 2,500 borrowers received loan forgiveness between the end of Nov. 2020 and April 2021 — the final months of the Trump administration and first few months of the Biden administration. (It's impossible to determine precisely how many borrowers applied for loan forgiveness and were rejected during that time because of the new way the data is reported.) And the new data shows a sizable paperwork backlog at the Education Department; nearly 130,000 borrowers who applied for loan forgiveness or requested an update on their progress toward loan forgiveness were still waiting for answers at the end of April. The data also indicates that 1.25 million borrowers have taken some step to participate in the program since 2012 and have not yet obtained loan forgiveness.   DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-23.     — What's next: The Biden administration plans to revise the regulations governing public service loan forgiveness, though it hasn't said how exactly it plans to change them. At the same time, the administration is also facing pressure from unions to automatically cancel the debts of borrowers who have been working in public service for at least 10 years, regardless of whether they meet the program's other criteria. TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY DISCHARGES: Federal law allows student borrowers who have a "total and permanent" disability to have their student loans forgiven. But there's been bipartisan concern in recent years that the process is overly burdensome. — What Trump did: The Trump administration automatically wiped clear the student debts of about 25,000 veterans with severe disabilities, and wrote a regulation that allows for automatic relief for veterans going forward. That relief applied only to veterans who became severely disabled. — Biden's record so far: The Biden administration announced that it would waive some paperwork requirements for severely disabled borrowers seeking relief during the coronavirus pandemic. The Education Department also permanently erased the debts of more than 41,000 borrowers whose loans were reinstated because they failed to submit paperwork proving their income. New data obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by the advocacy group Student Defense this month shows that the agency knows that an additional 517,000 borrowers qualify for the disability loan discharge but have not yet received it. Student Defense Vice President and co-founder Alex Elson said that even though the department knows these disabled borrowers "are legally entitled to full discharges of their student loans," the department "is only providing relief to those who figure out how to jump through unnecessary hoops." Student Defense has joined with other consumer organizations and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to urge the department to swiftly cancel the debt. This morning, Student Defense is also asking the Education Department to confirm the accuracy of the data and the agency's progress on the issue. — What's next: The Biden administration has said it plans to revise the rules surrounding "total and permanent" disability discharges as part of its higher education rulemaking agenda. BORROWER DEFENSE REPAYMENTS: Federal student borrowers who are defrauded by their college can apply to have their debt forgiven. The Obama administration first popularized this relief program after the collapse of large for-profit colleges. — What Trump did: The Education Department stopped issuing decisions on "borrower defense" claims for more than 18 months and issued tens of thousands of denials in the waning weeks of his administration, some of which are now being challenged in court. DeVos also sought to reduce the costs of loan forgiveness to taxpayers by doling out only partial relief to some borrowers. — Biden's record so far: In the first three months of the Biden administration, the Education Department approved more than 33,000 borrower defense claims. During that same time, another 22,572 applications were added to the backlog, which is now nearly 108,000 pending claims. The Biden administration last week announced that it was canceling the loans of about 18,000 former ITT Tech students (out of about 34,000 claims), and the Education Department has scrapped DeVos' partial relief policy. — What's next: The Biden administration has said it plans to restore Obama-era standards that make it easier for students to bring claims. But it hasn't publicly outlined a plan for processing the backlog of existing claims. BORROWERS EXCLUDED FROM PANDEMIC RELIEF: The federal government has paused monthly payments and interest for about 40 million federal student loan borrowers since March 2020. But the policy has excluded millions of people who have federally-backed loans owned by private companies. — What Trump did: The Education Department twice extended the pandemic relief for student loan borrowers without covering any additional borrowers. Bipartisan calls in Congress for parity between the two types of federal student loan borrowers also went nowhere in 2020. — Biden's record so far: The Education Department has expanded pandemic relief to a subset of the excluded borrowers: about 1 million borrowers of federally-guaranteed loans who defaulted on their debt as of May 12, 2021. But about 5 million additional borrowers who haven't defaulted still don't qualify. — What's next: Education Department officials said earlier this year they're examining whether they have the authority to further expand relief. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 21. WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. Please send tips to your host at mstratford@politico.com or to my colleagues, Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com, and Bianca Quilantan at bquilantan@politico.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro. A message from Sallie Mae®: The doors to a quality higher education should be open to every student. Sallie Mae is committed to expanding college access and improving graduation rates in underserved communities. Our scholarships help high school seniors afford college and help current college students at risk of not completing their program. See how Sallie Mae makes sense.   DRIVING THE WEEK In this image from video, members of the House stand on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 2020. | House Television via AP ON THE HILL THIS WEEK: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will be back in the hot seat on Thursday, testifying before the House education committee. It's the committee's first oversight hearing focused on the Education Department during the Biden administration. — Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, the committee's higher education subcommittee will hold a hearing on ways to boost federal workforce training programs to help people leaving prison find jobs. Student Loans HUD MAKES IT EASIER FOR STUDENT BORROWERS TO MORTGAGES: The Biden administration is tweaking how the Federal Housing Administration calculates eligibility for government mortgage assistance for applicants with student loan debt. The changes, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement , will "make it easier for borrowers with student loan debt to qualify for a federally insured mortgage" and help reduce racial gaps in homeownership. In Congress GOP BILL TARGETS D.C. SCHOOLS OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.), a member of the House education committee, on Friday opened a new front in the GOP's fight against critical race theory, an academic concept that examines how systemic racism has been woven into statutes and policies throughout U.S. history. — Grothman introduced legislation that would prohibit D.C. public schools, including charter schools, from teaching "ideas that promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating," including the notion that the U.S. is "fundamentally racist or sexist." — Other Republican efforts in Congress have sought to block the Education Department from encouraging schools to teach critical race theory. But the bill targeting D.C. schools, which stands virtually no chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled Congress, is new. — The official D.C. Council Twitter account responded: "Actually, here in DC, we teach Critical *State* Theory: We are deeply Critical of people elsewhere telling us how to educate our own children in our own soon-to-be State. How can they be so presumptuous?"     Education Department CARDONA DISCUSSES TRANSGENDER STUDENT RIGHTS WITH COUSIN: Cardona speaks with his cousin, Alex, about the experience of being a transgender college student in a new video posted by the Education Department. "I didn't transition to be seen as a transgender man," Alex says in the video . "I transitioned to be me." — Cardona announced last week that the Education Department would now be interpreting Title IX to protect transgender students. The Biden administration also backed a legal challenge to a new West Virginia law that prohibits transgender girls from playing on women's sports teams in school.   SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     Syllabus — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoes bill increasing eligibility for school voucher program: The Associated Press. — Foreign tech workers are getting fed up. Can better education for U.S. students fill the gap? The Hechinger Report. — Judge gives District of Columbia 15 days to provide incarcerated students with their legally mandated special-education services: The Washington Post. — Virus surge claims brightest minds at Indian universities: The Associated Press. A message from Sallie Mae®: The pathway to success, more equal opportunities, and economic mobility starts with a higher education. On average, college graduates earn 80% more per week than high school graduates. A college degree can open the door to socioeconomic mobility for students from all backgrounds. That's why Sallie Mae doesn't just provide private student loans, we offer scholarships and other free resources to help people realize their dreams. That includes minority populations who traditionally face greater obstacles to achieving higher education goals. See how Sallie Mae makes sense of college financing for all.     Follow us on Twitter Delece Smith-Barrow @DeleceWrites Michael Stratford @mstratford Bianca Quilantan @biancaquilan Juan Perez Jr. @PerezJr   Follow us

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