Earlier today, the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 2882: Congress’ $1.23 trillion continuing resolution to fund the federal government through September and avert another shutdown at midnight. The spending package maintains the maximum Pell Grant award at $7,395 after weeks of negotiation and allocates a total $79.1 billion to the Department of Education for the 2024 fiscal year.
What does this mean for Higher Education?
- $24.6 billion for federal student aid programs
- Pell Grant award at $7,395 for the 2024-25 award year.
- $1.2 billion for Federal Work-Study (FWS) Programs
- The same funding as provided in the FY 2023 enacted level.
- $2.18 billion for career, technical, and adult education
- $10 million less than in FY 2023
- An additional $3.3 billion for higher education programs
- $15 million less than in FY 2023
- $910 million for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program
- $171 million for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.
What happens now?
The Senate will review the legislation to make any amendments that it deems necessary, which could take a significant amount of time if there are disagreements. Once senators agree on a final version of the resolution, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson will bring it to the floor for a final vote in each chamber. If Congress passes the resolution in time, it will go to President Biden for his signature and the federal government will stay open until the next funding deadline in six months.
What happens if the resolution does not pass in time?
If Congress and the White House cannot pass a funding resolution before midnight, the government will shut down and the Department of Education will most likely be unable to continue important functions like transmitting ISIRs. This would cause even more delays for financial aid offices and families across the country while Congress attempts to negotiate another deal with the Biden-Harris Administration.