Tag Archives: federal

Federal Hearing on the Burden of Federal Education Regulations

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Tomorrow the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing to discuss the burden on K-12 and higher education institutions casued by federal education regulations.

The hearing, titled “Education Regulations: Weighing the Burden on Schools and Students” will feature testimony from the Council of Chief State School Officers, Loudoun County Public Schools, St. John’s College, and The Education Trust.

According to the Committee, this meeting is intended to “examine the scope of federal education mandates, including data collection requirements and paperwork burdens, and analyze how compliance with these mandates creates unnecessary hurdles for K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.”

U.S. House Passes Stop-Gap Spending Bill

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Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 235 to 189 to approve a stop-gap spending bill (H.R. 1). H.R. 1  would fund the federal government for the rest of FY2011 after the current continuing resolution expires on March 4.

H.R. 1 cuts discretionary-funded maximum awards for the Pell Grant from $4,860 to $4,105.  When the mandatory funds ($690) are considered the 2011-12 maximum Pell Grant award would be $4,705. This is a 15% decrease from 2010-11.

In addition, the bill makes proportionate reductions to awards below the maximum, reduces Pell eligibility for some of the highest eligible Expected Family Contribution groups, and prohibits the U.S. Department of Education from using FY11 appropriations to implement, administer, or enforce gainful employment regulations.

The bill also provides no funding for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP). Both programs provide financial grants to students who qualify for financial aid. Finally, the bill reduces President Obama’s proposed FY11 budget request by $100 billion.

H.R. 1 now goes to the U.S. Senate for further consideration.

Supplemental Budget Agreement Reached

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Late today the Washington Senate and House reached a tentative agreement on reductions to the current fiscal budget.

The  budget agreement reduces funds to the State Need Grant by $25.4 million and requires the public two-year and four-year institutions to use locally held funds to provide a commensurate amount of aid to eligible students who would have received state need grant payments. The reduction to Evergreen is $368,000.

In addition,  funding reductions were made to Workforce Employment and Training (ESD) ($318,000) and the following HECB programs and services ($632,000): (1) College Readiness Program, (2) Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA), (3) student financial aid administration, and (4) the Technology Transformation Task Force.

The agreement also:

  • Makes $242 million in reductions and $125 million in transfers
  • Maintains the Disability Lifeline cash grant at 50 percent of the current amount
  • Limits the Children’s Health Program eligibility to families at 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and allows families between 201 and 300 percent of FPL to buy in at full cost; does not freeze admittance
  • Limits Basic Health Plan eligibility to individuals eligible for a Medicaid waiver
  • Makes no transfer of local liquor profits

The supplemental budget  – HB 1086 – was referred to a Senate-House conference committee after the House chose not to go along with changes made by the Senate earlier this month. As a conference bill, it cannot be amended by either chamber prior to a vote, which could be as soon as Friday in the Senate

U.S. House Begins Debate on Bill to Reduce the Pell Grant

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Today the U.S. House of Representatives began debate on H.R. 1, a stop-gap spending bill that would fund the federal government for the rest of FY2011 after the current continuing resolution expires on March 4.

H.R. 1, introduced last week, would cut discretionary-funded maximum awards for the Pell Grant from $4,860 to $4,105.  When the mandatory funds ($690) are considered the 2011-12 maximum Pell Grant award would be $4,705. This is a 15% decrease from 2010-11.

In addition the bill provides no funding for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP). Both programs provide financial grants to students who qualify for financial aid.

The bill also reduces President Obama’s proposed FY11 budget request by $100 billion.

This week members of the U.S. House are introducing and debating amendments to H.R. 1.  To date nearly 400 amendments have been proposed, most of which call for greater reductions.  It is expected that the House could vote on the bill as early as this Thursday.

Obama’s FY12 Budget Seeks to Protect Education

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Yesterday, President Obama released his proposed federal budget for FY12.  The budget makes several investments in education and proposes some changes to the Pell in order to fund the grant at the current maximum level.

Higher Education Programs

The Administration’s 2012 request includes $2.3 billion for Higher Education Programs to help achieve the President’s goal of significantly increasing the percentage of Americans with postsecondary degrees or industry-recognized certificates.

A key priority for 2012 is a $150 million request for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to support the “First in the World” competition. This proposal, which would be modeled after the i3 program for K-12 education, would provide incentives and rewards for innovation and building evidence of what works to reduce costs and improve outcomes in postsecondary education.

In addition the proposed budget would prioritize:

  • A $40 million request for first-time funding for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence program to increase the talent pool of effective minority educators by expanding and reforming teacher education programs at minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
  • A $484.8 million request in discretionary funding for the Aid for Institutional Development programs. The request would strengthen institutions of higher education that serve high proportions of minority and disadvantaged students, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGIs), by improving their academic programs, institutional capacity, and student supports. The budget also provides $117.4 million for the Developing Hispanic-serving Institutions program.
  • A $920.1 million request to support college preparation and completion activities for participants in the Federal TRIO Programs, as well as $323.2 million to serve an estimated 756,000 middle and high school students preparing for college through Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).
  • A $125.9 million request  for the International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs, which help meet the Nation’s security and economic needs through the development of expertise in foreign languages and area and international studies.
  • A  $40.7 million request for merit- and need-based scholarships and fellowships to postsecondary students under Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) programs.

Student Financial Assistance

The 2012 request would ensure that Pell Grants will be available to all eligible students through a combination of mandatory savings to offset rising Pell demand and changes in the Pell program that would reduce current and future costs. Proposed mandatory savings include the elimination of interest subsidies for graduate student loans and providing an opportunity for students with multiple loan servicers to convert their student debt to a single loan holder, while the elimination of the “two Pells” provision, which effectively made many students eligible for two Pell Grants in a single award year, would achieve significant cost savings. The 2012 request also would expand the Perkins Loans program and simplify access to student financial aid.

In addition, the 2012 budget includes a new College Completion Incentive Grants program that would make grants to States to encourage colleges to help students enroll in school and finish their studies with a degree or certificate and to reward institutions that produce successful outcomes. Finally, a new Presidential Teaching Fellows program would support K-12 education by recruiting and preparing talented students for the teaching profession through top-tier teacher preparation programs.

Some Proposed Federal Cuts Announced

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Yesterday, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) unveiled a partial list of cuts that will be included in the new Continuing Resolution. The current Continuing Resolution is set to expire on March 4.

No education programs are on the partial list, but the committee has proposed $6.6 billion in cuts to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education programs.  

  • Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies   -$30M
  • Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy   -$899M
  • Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability   -$49M
  • Nuclear Energy   -$169M
  • Fossil Energy Research   -$31M
  • Clean Coal Technology   -$18M
  • Strategic Petroleum Reserve   -$15M
  • Energy Information Administration   -$34M
  • Office of Science   -$1.1B
  • Power Marketing Administrations   -$52
  • Department of Treasury   -$268M
  • Internal Revenue Service   -$593M
  • Treasury Forfeiture Fund   -$338M
  • GSA Federal Buildings Fund   -$1.7B
  • ONDCP   -$69M
  • International Trade Administration   -$93M
  • Economic Development Assistance   -$16M
  • Minority Business Development Agency   -$2M
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology   -$186M
  • NOAA   -$336M
  • National Drug Intelligence Center   -$11M
  • Law Enforcement Wireless Communications   -$52M
  • US Marshals Service   -$10M
  • FBI   -$74M
  • State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance   -$256M
  •  Juvenile Justice   -$2.3M
  • COPS   -$600M
  • NASA   -$379
  • NSF   -$139M
  • Legal Services Corporation   -$75M
  • EPA   -$1.6B
  • Food Safety and Inspection Services   -$53M
  • Farm Service Agency   -$201M
  • Agriculture Research   -$246M
  • Natural Resource Conservation Service   -$46M
  • Rural Development Programs   -$237M
  • WIC   -$758M
  • International Food Aid grants   -$544M
  • FDA   -$220
  • Land and Water Conservation Fund   -$348M
  • National Archives and Record Service   -$20M
  • DOE Loan Guarantee Authority   -$1.4B
  •  EPA ENERGY STAR   -$7.4M
  • EPA GHG Reporting Registry   -$9M
  • USGS   -$27M
  • EPA Cap and Trade Technical Assistance   -$5M
  • EPA State and Local Air Quality Management   -$25M
  • Fish and Wildlife Service   -$72M
  • Smithsonian   -$7.3M
  • National Park Service   -$51M
  • Clean Water State Revolving Fund   -$700M
  • Drinking Water State Revolving Fund   -$250M
  • EPA Brownfields   -$48M
  • Forest Service   -$38M
  • National Endowment for the Arts   -$6M
  • National Endowment for the Humanities   -$6M
  • Job Training Programs  -$2B
  • Community Health Centers  -$1.3B
  • Maternal and Child Health Block Grants  -$210M
  • Family Planning  -$327M
  • Poison Control Centers  -$27M
  • CDC   -$755M
  • NIH   -$1B
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services   -$96M
  • LIHEAP Contingency fund   -$400M
  • Community Services Block Grant   -$405M
  • High Speed Rail   -$1B
  • FAA Next Gen   -$234M
  • Amtrak   -$224M
  • HUD Community Development Fund   -$530M

Congress will likely begin the FY2012 budget process soon after the President releases his budget request on Feb. 14. 

The U.S. Department of Education will hold a briefing on the President’s FY2012 Budget Request on Monday, Feb. 14  at noon eastern time. For the first time, the Department will broadcast the briefing online.

President Obama to Release FY12 Budget Next Week

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Next Tuesday, February 15, President Obama is expected to release his fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget request to the 112th Congress. 

The budget will contain proposed funding levels for student aid programs for the academic year 2012-2013. Many of these funding proposals face proposed reductions.

The release of the FY12 federal budget will be the first step of a lengthy and complex annual budget process that will last through July 2011.

It is important to note that Congress has yet to resolve the FY11 budget.  As a result, the federal government is funded by a Continuing Resolution that is set to expire on March 4. Upon its expiration Congress must pass either another resolution or an omnibus spending bill that contains all 12 appropriations bills.

Under this timeline FY11 and FY12 budget negotiations will occur at the same time. The

Work on Education Begins in the U.S. House

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This week education committees in the U.S. House began their work on both budgetary and policy issues that will likely be the focus of much of their work during this Congress.

The House Education and the Workforce Committee, formerly the Education and Labor Committee, convened on Tuesday for its first meeting of the 112th Congress.
 
Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) opened the organizational meeting by welcoming committee members and highlighting the unique challenges the committee faces. 

At the meeting, members voted upon a set of rules that will govern the committee in the 112th Congress. Veteran member Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the rules that would have protected many education programs from spending cuts. The amendment reads:
 
“The Committee shall not report any bill or other matter that, with respect to matters within the Committee’s jurisdiction, (1) abolishes the Department of Education, (2) reduces the maximum Pell grant award, (3) eliminates student aid programs, or (4) otherwise has the effect of threatening student achievement and the nation’s global competiveness, including by reducing funding for programs that aid disabled or disadvantaged students.”
 
The amendment failed 22 to 17.

Obama Administration Plans to Increase Education Support to Military Families

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The Obama administration announced today the beginning of a series of efforts to help increase support for military families, including higher grants from the Department of Education.

Specific details are not yet clear, but a White House news release says the department will examine ways to customize financial-aid programs to fit the needs of military families, and to be “more sensitive to the financial fluctuations of Guard and Reserve personnel.”