On Dec. 15, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations presented the omnibus federal budget deal. The plan, which is expected to pass through Congress and the White House, includes $68 billion in funding for the Department of Education.
The budget
According to the House, the proposed 2016 budget allocates $1.2 billion more toward education than in the 2015 fiscal year. If passed, the funds will be dispersed with a focus on supporting local communities through specialized programs. The Title I Program, which provides money to local educational agencies and schools with large groups of low-income families, is set to receive $14.9 billion, a major increase from last year's $500 million. The money will go toward helping children learn math and science, both of which are major parts of the Common Core State Standards.
Pell Grants are federal funding that helps undergraduate students attend college. These grants are not like loans because they don't require repayment. The 2016 budget includes plans to increase the maximum Pell Grant an individual can earn to $5,915, which is drawn from both mandatory and discretionary funds.
Finally, $11.9 billion is set to fund the needs of children with disabilities at a local community level. The Administration for Children and Families will receive $18.8 billion, over $1 billion more than the 2015 budget. This includes funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant for improving infant and toddler care and making early education available for low-income families.
How will this funding affect your children?
Your school may receive extra funding if it has a high population of low-income families. Students at your school who have mental or physical special needs may also receive more help in the coming year thanks to higher federal budget money for special education. Your school may also begin to offer early learning opportunities such as pre-school or Head Start with the help of money allocated for early childhood education and care.
The proposed budget also increases NASA's budget by $1.3 billion. A total of $7.2 billion is set to go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support research on heart disease and stroke prevention, address critical public health needs on a state-by-state basis, modernize CDC labs and fight prescription drug overdoses. For more on federal finances and how they will affect your community, see the proposed budget.
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