This week in the other Washington higher education was on the mind of policymakers.
In the U.S. House, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on innovation in higher education. Among the topics of most interest to members was the area of competency-based education and prior learning assessment. Speakers included representatives from the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, StraighterLine, the University System of Maryland, and Western Governors University.
On the other side of the Capitol, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services and Education approved a FY14 appropriations bill.
Among the major investments in the bill are funds to support a “Race to the Top” program focusing on college affordability and a significant increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health.
The bill sets discretionary spending at $164.3 billion. This includes $400 million to support the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” initiative. The funding for the program will be an incentive for states to reduce college costs and improve academic outcomes. The subcommittee would also allocate $850 million for the TRIO programs, which help low-income, first generation college students prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Finally, the bill would increase the total maximum Pell Grant by $140 to $5,785.
The House has not yet introduced its version of the appropriations bill. It is considered unlikely that the two bills will be reconciled and passed. The full appropriations committee will meet later this week.