LEGISLATION
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.3288)
ยท Signed into law (PL 111-117) by Pres. Barack Obama on December 16, 2009
LATEST INFORMATION
On December 16, 2009, the President signed into law a fiscal year 2010 spending bill, funding many federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The bill flat-funded many programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, aka ‘No Child Left Behind’) at FY 2009 levels, with modest changes to others. ACA has been working with the administration, Congress and national partner organizations to grow overall federal funding for student supports and related education programs where possible.
In a win for ACA and other supporters of school counseling services, the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) enjoyed a $3 million boost over FY 2009 levels, to $55 million. Funding for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities national programs increased by more than $4 million to $224 million; the program’s state grants were eliminated for FY 2010, however, to help pay for new initiatives, such as a $48 million School Climate and Culture competitive grant program. In two notable funding changes, Teacher Incentive Program grants more than quadrupled to $400 million and a high school graduation initiative received $50 million in new spending, as it had no funding in 2009.
Authorized under the Higher Education Act, TRIO and GEAR UP programs will gain increases of $5 million and $10 million, respectively. The Pell Grant maximum award grew to $5,550 for FY 2010. The administration has proposed to make the Pell Grant a mandatory program, not subject to annual appropriations by Congress, and has proposed a historic move to continually grow the award based on the consumer price index. The administration also has proposed to grow the federal Perkins program to approximately a volume of $6 billion annually, and make it a mandatory program as well. These proposals must still be debated by Congress through authorizing legislation, such as the upcoming reauthorization, or renewal, of ESEA. However, the appropriations bill eliminated funding for the Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program, as requested by the administration to help fund their proposed overhaul of the Perkins program.
The appropriations bill was equally unfavorable to the Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Need Program, which remains unfunded. The program was not included in the president's FY 2010 Budget Request, or either the House or Senate versions of the appropriations bill. If funded, the program would cover 17 areas of national need, including full-time school counselors in low-income schools.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Counselors are encouraged to urge Congress to fund the Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Need Program.
BACKGROUND
Below you will find a table on the appropriations status of key programs.
Select Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations: FY 2010
(in millions except Pell Grant Award; rounded to the nearest decimal point)
|
Program
|
FY 2008
|
FY 2009
|
Pres.’s FY 2010 Budget Request
|
FY 2010 Passed House
|
FY 2010 Passed Senate Committee
|
Final FY 2010 (PL 111-117)
|
|
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP)
|
$48.6
|
$52.0
|
$52.0
|
$55.0
|
$55.0
|
$55.0
|
|
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems
|
$4.9
|
$5.9
|
$6.9
|
$0
|
$6.9
|
$5.9
|
|
Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk
|
$48.9
|
$50.4
|
$50.4
|
$50.4
|
$50.4
|
$50.4
|
|
Safe and Drug-Free Schools State Grants
|
$294.8
|
$294.8
|
$0.0
|
$0.0
|
$0.0
|
$0.0
|
|
Safe and Drug-Free Schools National Programs (among others, Safe Schools/ Healthy Students Initiative and School Climate and Culture Program)
|
$218.6
|
$220.2
|
$283.6
|
$227.8
|
$257.7
|
$224.1
|
|
21st Century Community Learning Centers
|
$1,081.2
|
$1,131.2
|
$1,131.2
|
$1,181.2
|
$1,131.2
|
$1,166.2
|
|
Education for Homeless Children and Youth
|
$64.1
|
$135.43 , includes $70 from ARRA*
|
$65.4
|
$65.4
|
$65.4
|
$65.4
|
|
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP)
|
$63.9
|
$63.9
|
$63.9
|
$63.9
|
$63.9
|
$63.9
|
|
Federal TRIO Programs, including Upward Bound
|
$885.2
|
$905.1
|
$905.1
|
$905.1
|
$905.1
|
$910.1
|
|
GEAR UP
|
$303.4
|
$313.2
|
$313.2
|
$333.0
|
$313.2
|
$323.2
|
|
Pell Grant Max Award (mix of mandatory and discretionary; in thousands)
|
$4,731
|
$5,350
|
$5,550 and proposes making it a mandatory program with increases based on the Consumer Price Index +1%
|
$5,550
|
$5,550
|
$5,550
|
|
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
|
$757.5
|
$757.5
|
$757.5
|
$757.5
|
$757.5
|
$757.5
|
|
Federal Work-Study
|
$980.5
|
$1180.5, includes $200 from ARRA*
|
$980.5
|
$980.5
|
$980.5
|
$980.5
|
|
Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program
|
$64.3
|
$67.2
|
$0 and proposes replacing it with a mandatory program of nearly $6 billion
|
$49.7
|
Only references Pres.'s proposal
|
$0 and references Pres.'s proposal
|
|
National Health Services Corps (NHSC) Recruitment (includes Loan Repayment)
|
$83.7
|
$335.2, includes $240 from ARRA*
|
$122.6
|
$102.1
|
$100
|
$100.8
|
|
High School Graduation Initiative (formerly School Dropout Prevention Program)
|
$0
|
$0
|
$50
|
$50
|
$50
|
$50
|
* On February 17, 2009, Pres. Obama signed into law The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also referred to as the economic recovery package or stimulus. For another ACA article on ARRA, see Legislative News - Stimulus Package Includes Billions for Social Services.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Dominic W. Holt, MSW, MFA
Legislative Representative
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
800.347.6647 x242
dholt@counseling.org