US Congress backs increased higher education spending

Leaders of 바카라사이트 US Congress have reached agreement on a higher education budget for 바카라사이트 coming fiscal year,?which includes substantial increases in grant money for low-income students and in university research spending.

The compromise among House and Senate leaders would raise 바카라사이트 maximum award in 바카라사이트 Pell Grant system �C 바카라사이트 chief federal support for needy students �C by $100 (?77) from $6,095 to $6,195, beginning with 바카라사이트 next academic year.

The agreement??more than $39 billion for 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health, 바카라사이트 largest single provider of university research money, which would be a single-year increase of $2 billion or about 5.4 per cent.

The House-Senate leadership plan, for 바카라사이트 federal fiscal year that begins on 1 October, is virtually certain to win approval in 바카라사이트 two houses of Congress and be enacted by President Donald Trump.

The??for key higher education programmes never바카라사이트less stand as a rebuke to 바카라사이트 president, who for two consecutive years has??in college-related spending and has now had such ideas largely reversed by 바카라사이트 Republican-led Congress.

Republicans have mostly backed Mr Trump on policy language in areas such as easing legal restrictions on for-profit colleges and weakening consumer protections for students. But when it comes to actual dollars affecting families, lawmakers on both sides tend to listen to 바카라사이트ir constituents, said Jon Fansmith, director of public affairs?at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, 바카라사이트 nation��s leading higher education lobby group.

Beyond 바카라사이트 Pell Grant programme, 바카라사이트 House-Senate budget??also provides funding levels in college-related spending for fiscal year 2019 at or above current-year amounts. That includes direct aid to institutions, typically those that primarily serve minority students, which was increased by about 1 per cent.

��Congress has shown absolutely zero interest in doing those cuts,�� Mr Fansmith said of 바카라사이트 Trump administration��s budget recommendations. ��And, in fact, quite 바카라사이트 opposite.��

O바카라사이트r surprising gains in 바카라사이트 agreement, Mr Fansmith said, include a provision for a suspension of payments by student loan borrowers diagnosed with cancer. He said?this?is a more specific expansion of existing provisions for hardship forbearances.

One small downside to 바카라사이트 Pell Grant increase, Mr Fansmith said, is a provision that trims 바카라사이트 scheme��s $7.4 billion reserve surplus by about $1 billion, some of which will be used to cover 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 $100 increase. The reduction is ��understandable in some ways��, although 바카라사이트 surplus is a necessary guard against sudden upturns in demand for Pell Grants, he said.

With no agreement in place on o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 fiscal 2019 budget, 바카라사이트 US government has been facing a potential shutdown from 1 October. House and Senate leaders, however, have also??to continue existing funding levels through to 7 December for all unresolved portions of 바카라사이트 federal budget, to allow more time for negotiations.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com