A proposed new $1 billion federal investment in higher education would help states dealing with budget cuts while promoting college completion, as well as access, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.
Duncan told the Senate education appropriations subcommittee that the $1 billion Race to the Top college competition would support innovation while stressing the need to go beyond the goal of simply getting students to enroll at a college or university. “It’s not just about access. It’s about completion,” he told the panel.
While targeting innovation, this new $1 billion in federal seed money also could help reverse the recent trend of state cuts in higher education, the secretary said. The funding would be a new approach for Race to the Top, which so far has funded primarily K-12 education reforms and improvements.
The new program drew a mixed response from lawmakers. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said smaller, low-population areas have not benefitted greatly from Race to the Top and may lack the resources to deploy grant writers and other experts to develop winning proposals.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., also said there is a “consistent concern” that rural areas are not getting their fair share of education grants. Across both Kansas and Montana, eight TRIO programs recently lost their funding. “The Education Department pointed to lack of funding as the major reason,” Tester said. Given the tight fiscal environment, “these schools are now in even worse shape.”
Duncan countered that the department is doing its part to reach out to rural communities and encourage them to seek funds. He noted that among underperforming K-12 schools, 20 percent are rural, yet these schools are getting about 24 percent of funding — slightly more than would be expected. “We know how important rural schools are,” the secretary said.
The administration also is proposing $247 million to launch First in the World, a program the administration describes as “venture capital” to promote innovations. The program’s priorities include initiatives to improve college access and selection for at-risk high school students.
