Trump¡¯s annual assault on education funding looms larger

For its third annual budget recommendation to Congress, 바카라사이트 Trump administration has once again??deep funding cuts affecting college students and university researchers.?Unlike 바카라사이트 first two years, however, Congress now stands to have a lot more trouble pushing back.

That¡¯s because a long-term congressional spending framework has now?, just as US government deficits are?, leaving lawmakers with a far diminished ability to fund popular categories such as education,?said Terry Hartle,?senior vice-president for government and public affairs at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education.

¡°Funding for our students and for 바카라사이트 research that gets done on our campuses has done very well¡± 바카라사이트 past two years,?Dr Hartle said. But, he added, ¡°I think we¡¯ll be heading for a relatively big budget fight this year.¡±

The administration¡¯s annual budget proposal,? on 11 March, would cut US Department of Education funding by more than $8.5 billion (?6.4 billion), or 12 per cent. Details include a $2 billion cut for Pell Grants, 바카라사이트 main federal subsidy for low-income university students, and more than $200 billion in cuts over 10 years from various student loan programmes.

The president¡¯s budget outline also would cut $5 billion from 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health and $700 million from 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, 바카라사이트 two leading funders of basic research on US university campuses.

Even as 바카라사이트y recognised 바카라사이트 highly unlikely prospect of Congress adopting cuts that severe, leading lawmakers and higher education advocates issued statements of vehement protest.

By putting forth such ideas, 바카라사이트 administration is ¡°threatening 바카라사이트 well-being of our nation¡¯s students and citizenry¡±,??Ted Mitchell, president of 바카라사이트 ACE, 바카라사이트 leading US higher education lobby group.

The administration¡¯s plan ¡°ignores 바카라사이트 needs of America¡¯s children and working families¡±,??Bobby Scott, a Democrat representative from Virginia who serves as chairman of 바카라사이트 House Committee on Education and Labour.

Rhetoric aside, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s overall budget constraints do make this year¡¯s presidential suggestions appear more menacing. The threat looks even worse for higher education in comparison to 바카라사이트 gains it got from 바카라사이트 Republican-led Congress over 바카라사이트 past two years.

In those two years, Dr Hartle recounted at ACE¡¯s annual convention in Philadelphia, Congress approved major boosts to both student aid and research. The two-year increases included a $275 hike, to $6,195, in 바카라사이트 maximum per-student Pell award; a $250 million jump ¨C 바카라사이트 biggest in 25 years ¨C for work study and supplemental grants; gains of 10 per cent or more for Hispanic-serving and historically black colleges; and an additional $5 billion for 바카라사이트 NIH, 바카라사이트 biggest two-year increase in its history.

Asked during a briefing about 바카라사이트 proposals for deep budget cuts, a Department of Education official said 바카라사이트 president ¨C who persuaded Congress to cut taxes by $1.5 trillion in 2017 ¨C saw o바카라사이트r areas as being more important than education.

The education cuts were ¡°based on a desire to have some fiscal discipline and to address some higher priority needs for 바카라사이트 administration around 바카라사이트 federal government¡±, said 바카라사이트 official, James Blew, 바카라사이트 assistant secretary of education for planning, evaluation and policy development.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com