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Diving overview:
- Congress has postponed its decision to finalize the fiscal year 2024 budget for the fourth time. continuing determination President Joe Biden signed legislation Friday to allocate money to the U.S. Department of Education and several other agencies from March 8 to March 22.
- It passed 320 to 99 in the House and 77 to 13 in the Senate on Thursday. Congress also moved the deadlines for about a half-dozen agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, from March 1 to March 8. A government shutdown of those agencies would have begun Saturday if Congress had not acted.
- The continuing resolution includes measures to amend the FAFSA Simplification Act to prevent changes to the formula. Expanding the Pell Grant Program For low-income college students. The Department for Education announced the changes this week.
Dive Insights:
In an announcement Tuesday, the Department of Education said it is updating how it calculates the aid students will receive to fully comply with the FAFSA Simplification Act. These technological changes are expected to make Pell Grants available to more students in the 2024-25 award year.
After Thursday's House vote, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., ranking member on the Education and Labor Committee, opposed the chamber's action. “Now, as a result of this bill, fewer students will be eligible to receive a Pell Grant next year, and many students who receive a Pell Grant will receive less financial aid.”
“At a time when college is becoming increasingly difficult to afford, we must do everything we can to help our students succeed,” he said. “I am very disappointed with this outcome and will continue to fight for expanded access to Pell Grants in the future.” “he added. .”
Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., took a different tack. Foxx said in a statement that the Department of Education's expansion would create a $7 billion funding gap next year, “crippling the Pell Grant program.”
“Today's Responsibility CR [continuing resolution] “It stops the Department of Education’s reckless behavior while ensuring students have access to the financial aid information they need in a timely manner and ensuring the Pell Grant remains stable for families who truly need it in the future,” Foxx said.
This situation represents another obstacle to the launch of new products. Apply for federal student aid for free. The release of the forms occurred nearly three months later than usual, meaning high school students and their families had less time to complete them and colleges had less time to calculate financial aid offers.
At the K-12 level, federal budget delays should not impact the daily operations of school districts. But an extension of the federal budget decision could have an impact. State and local budget planning Interfere with some services provided by the Department of Education.
For example, a 2022 GAO report stated: During the ongoing resolution, Department of Education travel funds may be inaccessible, limiting the ability of staff to visit recipient institutions for on-site program monitoring.
According to the 2023 report: Congressional Research ServiceSince 1977, when the start of the fiscal year was changed to October 1, resolution as a research arm of Congress has continued for all but three of the 47 fiscal years. The last fiscal year without a continuing resolution was 1997.
This year, the last year of federal education, elementary and middle school educators are especially anxious about their income. COVID-19 Emergency Fund The mandatory deadline is September 30th.