After a contentious and sometimes bitter debate over oil
drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge where cloture was not
invoked, the Senate passed the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations bill. After the
Alaska oil drilling plan was scuttled, the successful Unanimous Consent
agreement that cleared the way for floor consideration of the Defense
Department funding bill provided for approval of the FY 2006 Appropriation
bill that funds the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education. The Unanimous
Consent agreement provided that if the Department of Defense Appropriations
bill was passed by the Senate, then the Labor, HHS, Education Departments
funding bill would be "deemed" to be approved. But, the Defense Appropriations
bill had a provision reducing all government spending, except that for
veterans, by 1%.
The chart below, in the last column on the right,
shows the student aid funding for FY 2006. Please note that the
Pell Grant maximum award is frozen for the fourth year in a row and is not
affected by the 1% across-the-board cut. Note further that once again the
rest of Title IV funding is cut below last years appropriation, except for the Pell Grant maximum award and the total program amount.
|
Program
|
FY2005 Final Appropriations
|
President's
Request FY2006
|
House-Passed
FY2006
|
Senate-Passed FY2006
|
Conference Agreement*
|
|
Pell
Grant
|
$12.364 B
|
$13.199 B
|
$13.383 B
|
$13.177 B
|
$13.045 B
|
|
Pell
Grant Maximum Award
|
$4,050
|
$4,150
|
$4,100
|
$4,050
|
$4,050
|
|
FSEOG
|
$778.720 M
|
$778.720 M
|
$778.720 M
|
$804.763 M
|
$770.93 M
|
|
FWS
|
$990.257 M
|
$990.257 M
|
$990.257 M
|
$990.257 M
|
$980.35 M
|
|
Perkins
Loan FCC
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
|
Perkins
Loan Cancellations
|
$66.132 M
|
-0-
|
$66.132 M
|
$66.132 M
|
$65.47 M
|
|
LEAP
|
$65.643 M
|
-0-
|
$65.643 M
|
$65.643 M
|
$64.98 M
|
|
Javits
|
$9.797 M
|
$9.797 M
|
$9.797 M
|
$9.797 M
|
$9.69 M
|
|
GAANN
|
$30.371 M
|
$30.371 M
|
$30.371 M
|
$30.371 M
|
$30.06 M
|
*All numbers except Pell Grant maximum award reflect 1% reduction from Conference Report agreement; unofficial numbers.
It is expected that the House today will approve the Defense Department FY 2006 Appropriations bill and will send it and the Education funding bill approved yesterday to the White House for the President's expected signature.
Higher Education Act Extension Cleared for President
H.R. 4525, the "Second Higher Education Extension Act
of 2005," passed the House on Saturday. The bill extends program and
spending authority under the Higher Education Act until March 31, 2006. The
Senate passed the bill yesterday under Unanimous Consent; it was the final bill
passed by the Senate last night before that body passed its adjournment
resolution. The President will sign the measure. A short-term HEA extension
passed by the Congress in September expires on December 31.
By Larry Zaglaniczny
NASFAA Director for Congressional Relations
Posted December 22, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2005. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited
Please submit Web Site questions or comments to web@NASFAA.org
