Education Secretary Betsy DeVos appeared before the House Education and Labor Committee on April 10 to testify about the Department of Education’s policy priorities in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget. Throughout the hearing, Representatives touched on a wide array of topics, including CTE.
Several Committee Members used their time to highlight economic stress their local communities face because of the current skills gap, and pressed Sec. DeVos on prioritizing skills-based training initiatives. In response to these repeated concerns, the Secretary emphasized that the Trump Administration’s commitment is highlighted “by the [nearly] $1.3 billion investment” the president’s budget makes in Perkins Basic State Grants. However, the president's budget only flat-funds Perkins, which given the program's persistent underfunding and the increasing demand for CTE, is insufficient.
The Secretary also spoke about the Administration's support for expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students who are enrolled in short-term programs. This proposal already has bipartisan support through the JOBS Act, which ACTE has endorsed and has been introduced the past few years by the Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs.
Other relevant topics the Secretary discussed included her proposal for Education Freedom Scholarships, which essentially allow private donors to provide education scholarships and in return receive a 100% tax credit. Theoretically, students could use these "scholarships" toward CTE programs. The president's budget funds the proposal at $5 billion, nearly four times larger than Perkins. Some have called the proposal essentially a voucher program funded by the government through the 1:1 tax credit, and ACTE has long opposed vouchers.
The Secretary also talked about pre-apprenticeship programs, providing opportunities for students to earn postsecondary credit in high school, and improving regional CTE partnerships between industry and education.
ACTE continues to closely monitor and be involved in the issues discussed in this hearing, including FY 2020 appropriations and Higher Education Act reauthorization legislation.
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