The federal budget for fiscal year 2014 passed by Congress and signed by President Obama last week increases funding for career technical education, enhances college-readiness programs for at-risk students, and boosts the maximum amount of Pell Grant awards—all good news for college-going students.
The new $1.1 trillion spending plan funds the Pell Grant program at last year’s level of $22.8 billion, but increases the maximum award next year to $5,730, an $85 increase.
After suffering sequestration cuts, the new budget puts $49 million more into the Federal Work Study program, a 5.3 percent increase to the nearly $975 million program, and $37 million more into the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, which is set at $733 million.
While funding for CTE National Programs is flat in next year’s budget, money for state CTE grants goes up by 5 percent to $1.2 billion.
There is an additional $121 million for the Labor Department for Workforce Investment Act grants ($2.6 billion total) to states for job training and assistance for low-income workers.
GEAR UP, which provides support for disadvantaged college-going students, has 5 percent more with a funding total of $302 million.
Some high school and higher-education-related programs weren’t as lucky in the recent round of negotiations.
Money for adult education state grants is flat in next year’s budget at $564 million, as well as the high school graduation initiative funded at $46 million—the same as last year.
For a complete look at the impact of the spending bill on education, see Alyson Klein’s story Federal Spending Plan Aims to Ease ‘Sequester’ Pain.