ACTE has analyzed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 omnibus appropriations bill signed into law in December 2022 and identified more than 260 projects in which funding was awarded to education institutions for initiatives related to CTE and career development, equaling over $290 million. These earmarks or congressionally directed spending opportunities allow Members of Congress to guarantee a specific amount for grantees for the direct benefit of their state or district.
ACTE’s analysis of CTE-related earmarks in FY 2023 concluded the following:
- K-12 CTE projects accumulated over 45 earmarks equaling over $39 million; postsecondary projects accumulated over 150 earmarks equaling over $198 million; and projects through the Employment and Training Administration received more than 60 earmarks equaling over $54 million.
- The bill funded projects across several CTE program areas, including more than 60 health science CTE and workforce development projects; about 30 STEM initiatives; and more than 20 transportation, distribution and logistics projects.
- The state with the highest number of earmarks and highest total community project funding was California, with projects equaling over $37 million in funding.
The following list includes the individual projects that received the highest amounts of funding:
- $6.5 million for Saint Michael's College in Vermont for an environmental industry workforce training program.
- $4 million for the University of Georgia for poultry science workforce development activities.
- $3.8 million for San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, for nursing programs, including equipment and technology for simulation labs.
- $3.2 million for Henry Ford College in Michigan for clean energy programs.
In addition to these projects funded at educational institutions, many CTE-related projects were also funded through organizations outside the education system, so we encourage you to check out the FY 2023 appropriations bill to see more earmarks in your state that may of relevance to CTE.
For FY 2024, constituents can now submit funding requests to their Members of Congress:
- The Senate Appropriations Committee recently released a guidelines document for FY 2024 requests. Requests from Senators for funding under Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – the most likely avenue for addressing CTE-related projects – are due April 13, 2023.
- The House Appropriations Committee has also shared guidance for this process on the House side. The deadline for Representatives to make requests for funding under Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies is March 24, 2023.
However, Member offices usually have earlier, individual deadlines, so interested parties should reach out to their Members of Congress for more information as soon as possible. Visit ACTE’s Action Center to find contact information for your legislators.
Neither branch will consider proposals that include funding for for-profit entities and those in which the Member of Congress or their family members have a financial interest.
If you need any assistance with requests, please contact Alisha Hyslop, ACTE Senior Director of Public Policy, at [email protected].
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