Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Summary — February 7, 2005

Archived  Information

Section II. E.  Higher Education Programs

• Overview
• Title III: Aid for Institutional Development
• Developing Hispanic-serving Institutions
• International Education and Foreign Language Studies
• Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
• Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Institutions
• Federal TRIO Programs
• Scholarships and Fellowships
• Child Care Access Means Parents in School
• Community College Access
• GPRA Data/HEA Program Evaluation
• Academic Facilities
• Howard University

Overview

The Administration's request for fiscal year 2006 includes $1.2 billion for Higher Education Programs, which are proposed for reauthorization under the Higher Education Act. This request complements the Administration's proposals for elementary and secondary education by helping to ensure the availability of quality postsecondary educational opportunities.

A $418.5 million request for the Aid for Institutional Development programs would maintain President Bush's commitment to strengthen institutions of higher education that serve high proportions of minority and disadvantaged students, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGIs). In addition, the budget would provide $95.9 million for the Developing Hispanic-serving Institutions program, a small increase over the 2005 level.

The budget also provides $106.8 million for the International Education and Foreign Language Studies (IEFLS) programs to help meet the Nation's security and economic needs through the development of expertise in foreign languages and area and international studies. The increased complexity of the post-Cold War world, the events surrounding the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, and the war on terrorism underscore the importance of expanding American understanding of other peoples and their languages.

As part of its comprehensive High School Intervention initiative, described under Elementary and Secondary Education, the request would eliminate separate funding for similar Higher Education programs, including Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math Science, Talent Search, and the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. The request includes $369.4 million to maintain support for those Federal TRIO Programs focused on serving low-income, first-generation and disabled college students and adults, including Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement program.

Finally, the budget would provide $40.2 million for need-based scholarships and fellowships to postsecondary students under the Javits Fellowships and Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) programs, as well as $22.2 million for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to support a wide-range of projects to reform and improve postsecondary education.

Title III: Aid for Institutional Development
(B.A. in millions)

The request for Title III demonstrates the Administration's strong commitment to ensuring access to high quality postsecondary education for the Nation's minority and disadvantaged students. Title III funding would help provide equal educational opportunity and strong academic programs for these students and help achieve greater financial stability for the institutions that serve them.

Developing Hispanic-serving Institutions

The request would expand and enhance the academic quality, institutional management, fiscal stability, and self-sufficiency of colleges and universities that enroll large percentages of Hispanic students. Hispanic-Americans are the nation's largest minority population, yet continue to lag behind their non-Hispanic peers in overall educational achievement. This request demonstrates the Administration's commitment to ensuring that Hispanic students have access to high quality postsecondary education and to closing the gaps between Hispanic and majority students in academic achievement, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and life-long learning.

International Education and Foreign Language Studies
(B.A. in millions)

The 14 International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs strengthen the American education system in the area of foreign languages and international studies. These programs support comprehensive language and area study centers within the United States, research and curriculum development, opportunities for American scholars to study abroad, and activities to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in international service. In addition to promoting general understanding of the peoples of other countries, the Department's international programs also serve important economic, diplomatic, defense, and other security interests of the United States. The 2006 request would fund approximately 475 grants to institutions of higher education, directly support over 1,300 individuals through fellowships and projects, and support the international service programs of more than 135 underrepresented minorities.

The Domestic programs received a Results Not Demonstrated rating under the PART process due to insufficient data demonstrating program effectiveness against newly established performance targets.

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
(B.A. in millions)

FIPSE supports exemplary, locally developed projects that are models for innovative reform and improvement in postsecondary education. The 2006 request would support new competitions under the Comprehensive Program and the International Consortia programs, thus beginning to restore the FIPSE programs to the levels at which they were funded in fiscal year 2004. Funding for the Comprehensive Program would support projects that target areas of higher education deemed to be a top priority. The 2005 total includes $145.2 million for one-time projects, for which funding is not requested in 2006.

Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Institutions

This program, which is currently authorized under the Perkins Act, supports competitive grants to institutions that provide postsecondary vocational and technical education to Native American students. The Administration is requesting funding for the program in the Higher Education account because, under the Administration's Higher Education Act reauthorization proposal, this activity would be authorized along with other programs that provide institutional support for postsecondary institutions.

A PART analysis of this program completed during the 2004 budget process produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating, based on findings that while the program has a clear purpose and meets a real need, it lacks performance objectives and thus cannot demonstrate positive results. The Department is taking steps to correct these weaknesses.

Federal TRIO Programs
(B.A. in millions)

The reduced request for 2006 reflects the decision to shift high-school-related TRIO resources to the proposed High School Intervention initiative, which would provide a more flexible, comprehensive, and accountable approach to addressing the college preparation needs of high school students. The new initiative would help ensure that the types of services currently provided under programs like Upward Bound, Talent Search, and GEAR UP are part of a broader effort to provide students, especially those most at-risk, with the full range of services they need in order to succeed. The remaining Federal TRIO Programs would receive $369.4 million to maintain services for more than 420,000 low-income, first-generation (or disabled) individuals. Student Support Services received a Results Not Demonstrated PART rating due to a lack of annual data to measure progress toward performance goals. However, the assessment did note the national evaluation's generally positive findings, and the Department recently collected annual data that shows short-term targets are being met.

Scholarships and Fellowships
(B.A. in millions)

Javits Fellowships provide up to 4 years of support to students of superior ability and high financial need who are pursuing doctoral degrees, or the highest terminal degree, in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The 2006 request would support 231 fellowships in academic year 2006-2007, including 51 new fellows. The program received an Adequate rating under the PART process thanks to data showing that its performance exceeded targets and that the program is on track to achieve program goals related to time-to-degree completion and graduation rates.

GAANN provides fellowships, through grants to postsecondary institutions, to graduate students with superior ability and financial need studying in areas of national need. Participating graduate schools must provide assurances that they will seek talented students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The 2006 request would support 721 fellowships, including 488 new fellows. This program was rated Results Not Demonstrated by the PART process, but more recent and complete performance data show that the program is on track to achieve its goals.

Child Care Access Means Parents in School

This program supports the participation of low-income parents in the postsecondary education system by providing campus-based childcare services. Grants made to institutions of higher education must be used to supplement childcare services or start a new program, not to supplant funds for current childcare services. The program gives priority to institutions that leverage local or institutional resources and employ a sliding fee scale. The 2006 request would fund 122 new awards and maintain funding for 218 existing projects.

A PART analysis of this program produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating due to lack of performance data and evaluation information. The Department has established long-term goals and is taking steps to collect needed data.

Community College Access

This proposed new program would provide incentives to States and partnerships to increase access to a college education for low-income and minority students by promoting "dual-enrollment" programs through which high school students take college-level courses and receive both high school and postsecondary credit. The program would support two types of activities: Partnership and State grants. Partnership grants would create incentives for community colleges to provide dual-enrollment programs and provide funding for scholarships to students who enroll in and complete dual-enrollment programs and who continue on to complete postsecondary education. States grants would provide incentives for States to work together to encourage transfer of academic credit across State lines among institutions.

GPRA Data/HEA Program Evaluation

The request would support continuation of program evaluations and data collections to measure the performance of Higher Education Act programs. Data and information from these activities are used to comply with GPRA reporting requirements and to inform budgetary decisions.

Academic Facilities
(B.A. in millions)

These programs support the construction, reconstruction, and renovation of academic facilities at institutions of higher education. Funding for CHAFL Federal Administration is used solely to manage and service existing portfolios of facilities loans and grants made in prior years. The request for HBCU Capital Financing Federal Administration would support management and servicing of both previously issued and new loans.

Howard University
(B.A. in millions)

The 2006 request would maintain support for Howard University's academic programs, research programs, endowment program, construction activities, and the Howard University Hospital. The request reflects continued support for maintaining and improving the quality and financial strength of an institution that has played a historic role in providing access to postsecondary educational opportunities for African-Americans.

Student Financial Assistance   Institute of Education Sciences

For further information contact the ED Budget Service.

This page last modified—February 7, 2005 (mjj).