National Defense Authorization Act Includes Graduate Education Provisions

On Thursday, December 14, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 by a vote of 83-11. The House passed the legislation on December 8 after the House and Senate authorizing committees released text of the agreement on December 6. The bill text,  explanatory statement, and executive summary of the NDAA can be found here. On December 14, CGS and 16 other higher education associations sent a letter in support of provisions in the NDAA that supports the research capability and STEM workforces at historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Minority Serving Institutions.

Some provisions in the NDAA that impact graduate education include:

• Establishing an intelligence scholars program to provide scholarships to graduate students studying in mission critical fields in exchange for a commitment to work in the intelligence community.
• Directing the Secretary of the Army to report on opportunities to develop pilot graduate degree and certificate programs to staff and sustain the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) performance teams, and the feasibility of developing a pilot program for Army personnel to address musculoskeletal injuries.