The legislation would also boost funding for
the nation’s higher education programs by $431 million, providing increases in
funding for college work study, TRIO
programs, Pell Grants, and other programs designed to help people from underrepresented,
low-income, and minority populations enter and succeed in postsecondary
education.
Additionally, the bill calls for significant
investments in K-12 education, increasing funding by $1 billion each for the Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I grants for improving
basic programs at state and local levels and for the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which allows
eligible children with disabilities to get a free, quality public education.
Those are just a few examples of the proposed increases
in funding that are included in the legislation. Those increases would help
make up for years of stagnant funding levels for many discretionary domestic
programs.
For more than 35 years, JFF has worked at the
intersection of education and workforce development, helping to build and
identify evidence-based programming in support of the skills of the American
workforce—especially for low-income and underprepared populations. Through this
work, we have witnessed the difference that these programs can make in people’s
lives—helping individuals prepare for family-supporting careers and advance
economically. We are heartened to see the first major investments in education
and workforce development programs in many years, and we applaud the insight of
House committee members as we begin this FY 2020 budget season.