The Trump administration’s proposal provides $131 billion in new post-secondary grants, loans and work-study and includes $64 billion in discretionary spending, a 10-percent reduction from the prior year. It includes recommended decreases, increases and unchanged or “level funding” throughout.
Some of the budget proposal’s highlights are:
· Fully funding a request for state grants under Perkins and expanding pre-apprentice programs; asking Congress to expand Pell Grants to include short-term, high-quality programs; reducing federal work-study while it is reformed with an eye toward career-readiness; and consolidating income-based federal student loan repayment plans into one with a monthly payment of 12.5 percent of the borrower’s discretionary income.
· Promoting career and technical education (CTE) in community colleges, technical schools and high schools with $1.3 billion, in addition to an increase to $20 million to enhance state CTE programs.
· Funding school-choice options, including $500 million for expanding public charter schools and $107 million for magnet schools.
