Last Week, U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos testified in a hearing hosted by the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) subcommittee on the Presidents Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request. This hearing follows closely on Sec. DeVos’s testimony in the House on March 3, and its goal was to further examine the Administration’s justifications for the funding levels in the president’s request.
Overall, the Administration’s proposal calls for a $66.6 billion budget for the Department of Education, a $6.1 billion, or 8.4 percent reduction below the FY 2020 enacted level. This year’s cuts to education funding are in line with the Administration’s previous requests, which have all been “dead-on-arrival” in Congress, with members of both parties noting the fundamental importance of these programs.
More specifically, with CTE being one of the areas in the president’s education request that received a substantial increase, it was again a significant topic of discussion during the hearing. In his opening statement, subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) highlighted the 60% increase to the Perkins Basic State Grant program and discussed how CTE allows students to gain exposure to different career pathways. Secretary DeVos emphasized that the states have been working on their state plans and many have included “ambitious plans” to expand their scope, specifically toward middle schools. She also expressed that demand and excitement for CTE has increased. Aside from Sen. Blunt, Sens. Capito (R-WV) and Hyde-Smith (R-MS) expressed happiness in the proposed CTE increase and highlighted the work going on in their states.
Another important topic discussed was the Administration’s proposal to significantly cut funding for the Federal Work-Study program. The budget calls for a $680 million, or about 58%, cut to the program, which is designed to provide part-time jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. Chairman Blunt immediately dismissed this idea during the hearing and told Secretary DeVos “It’s almost certain we would not cut programs like TRIO or campus-based student aid like federal work-study.”
Other questions focused on the White House’s budget proposals to eliminate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the proposed block grant of ESSA programs, the skyrocketing costs of higher education, and the Administration’s recent decision to change the eligibility rules for the Rural Low-Income Schools Program.
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