More details on the senate stimulus package is now available. Here's the committee report language--basically an explanation of what's in the bill.
http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_01_28_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Plan_Report.pdf?CFID=4316236&CFTOKEN=19420428
For a nice, concise side-by-side analysis of the higher education related sections in both the house and senate bill, go to this article from Inside Higher Education.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/28/stimulus
30 January 2009
28 January 2009
Now Its The Senate's Turn
The Senate has come up with its own version of a stimulus package. For an overview of the non-tax related portions (spending that is) here's the committee's release:
http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_01_27_Senate_Appropriations_Committee_Approves_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Plan.pdf?CFID=4081109&CFTOKEN=98619761
In essence, this is how it affects us:
Senate Appropriations Stimulus Package:
Overview on Higher Education Related Issues
Infrastructure Improvements:
· School Modernization: $16 billion to repair, renovate and construct public schools in ways that will raise energy efficiency and provide greater access to information technology, and $3.5 billion to improve higher education facilities.
· National Science Foundation (NSF) $350 million for scientific infrastructure.
Research
· National Science Foundation (NSF) Research: $1.4 billion total for NSF including: $1 billion to help America compete globally; and $50 million for competitive grants to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
· National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): $1.5 billion total for NASA including: $500 million for Earth science missions to provide critical data about the Earth’s resources and climate; $250 million to enable research and testing of environmentally responsible aircraft and for verification and validation methods for complex aerospace systems and software; $500 million to reduce the gap in time that the U.S. does not have a vehicle to access the International Space Station; and $250 million for repair, upgrade and construction at NASA facilities.
· National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $1.2 billion total for NOAA, including $772 million to construct and repair NOAA facilities, equipment and vessels; to $80 million to reduce the Nation’s coastal charting backlog; $70 million for supercomputer infrastructure for climate research; and $300 million to restore critical habitat around the Nation.
· National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): $575 million total for NIST including: $357 million for renovation of NIST facilities and new laboratories using green technologies; $218 million for scientific and technical research at NIST to strengthen the agency’s IT infrastructure; provide additional NIST research fellowships; provide substantial funding for advanced research and measurement equipment and supplies; increase external grants for NIST-related research.
· The Department of Energy’s Science program sees $430 million for laboratory infrastructure, for construction, and for advanced computing development.
· $3.5 billion to conduct biomedical research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and stem cells, and to improve NIH facilities.
· $1.1 billion to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, NIH and the HHS Office of the Secretary to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different health care services and treatment options.
Financial Aid
· Pell Grants: $13.9 billion to increase the Pell Grant maximum award and pay for increases in program costs resulting from increased eligibility and higher Pell Grant awards. The bill supports an increased Pell Grant maximum award of $281 in the 2009- 2010 academic year and $400 in the 2010-2011 academic year. This aid will help 7 million students pursue postsecondary education.
http://appropriations.senate.gov/News/2009_01_27_Senate_Appropriations_Committee_Approves_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Plan.pdf?CFID=4081109&CFTOKEN=98619761
In essence, this is how it affects us:
Senate Appropriations Stimulus Package:
Overview on Higher Education Related Issues
Infrastructure Improvements:
· School Modernization: $16 billion to repair, renovate and construct public schools in ways that will raise energy efficiency and provide greater access to information technology, and $3.5 billion to improve higher education facilities.
· National Science Foundation (NSF) $350 million for scientific infrastructure.
Research
· National Science Foundation (NSF) Research: $1.4 billion total for NSF including: $1 billion to help America compete globally; and $50 million for competitive grants to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
· National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): $1.5 billion total for NASA including: $500 million for Earth science missions to provide critical data about the Earth’s resources and climate; $250 million to enable research and testing of environmentally responsible aircraft and for verification and validation methods for complex aerospace systems and software; $500 million to reduce the gap in time that the U.S. does not have a vehicle to access the International Space Station; and $250 million for repair, upgrade and construction at NASA facilities.
· National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $1.2 billion total for NOAA, including $772 million to construct and repair NOAA facilities, equipment and vessels; to $80 million to reduce the Nation’s coastal charting backlog; $70 million for supercomputer infrastructure for climate research; and $300 million to restore critical habitat around the Nation.
· National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): $575 million total for NIST including: $357 million for renovation of NIST facilities and new laboratories using green technologies; $218 million for scientific and technical research at NIST to strengthen the agency’s IT infrastructure; provide additional NIST research fellowships; provide substantial funding for advanced research and measurement equipment and supplies; increase external grants for NIST-related research.
· The Department of Energy’s Science program sees $430 million for laboratory infrastructure, for construction, and for advanced computing development.
· $3.5 billion to conduct biomedical research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and stem cells, and to improve NIH facilities.
· $1.1 billion to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, NIH and the HHS Office of the Secretary to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different health care services and treatment options.
Financial Aid
· Pell Grants: $13.9 billion to increase the Pell Grant maximum award and pay for increases in program costs resulting from increased eligibility and higher Pell Grant awards. The bill supports an increased Pell Grant maximum award of $281 in the 2009- 2010 academic year and $400 in the 2010-2011 academic year. This aid will help 7 million students pursue postsecondary education.
22 January 2009
NEW DAY IN DC
OK, the 111th Congress has convened. Committee assignments are being doled out. A new president has been sworn in, twice, and the cabinet officials and czars are practically in place. So what now?
For us, follow the money. Policy issues will emerge thereafter.
So where are we?
FY '09--Appropriations has been put to bed. We just haven't seen the effects. Congress adjourned last year without officially funding the remaining part of the year--outside of defense and homeland security that is. Staff have finished the bill and a vote is expected probably after the stimulus package vote.
Stimulus--treat this as a supplemental to FY '09 even though we don't actually know what's in '09. And some of '10 too since funds will be spent later this year if a package is approved. So what's in it? The House Democrats are pushing an $800 billion plus package. A nice summary from the committee is found in their report language. This passed last night out of committee and expect on the floor next week. http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryReport01-15-09.pdf
For higher education, one can break down the package this way:
1. Infrastructure is mainly a $6 billion repair and renovation allocation to the states based on student full time equivalents. Some "green" requirements attached. No "new" construction. Other infrastructure projects are noted at NSF, NIH but these are mainly for existing approved projects that were simply not funded due to lack of money.
2. R&D. Lot's of direct and indirect stuff. The good folks at the AAAS put this together:
AAAS estimates that the just-released House version of the 2009 stimulus appropriations bills contains $13.3 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding out of a total $550 billion in federal spending. Of that amount, $9.9 billion would go to the conduct of R&D and $3.4 billion for R&D facilities and capital equipment.
The three agencies highlighted in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) would do extremely well in the stimulus appropriations bill. The National Science Foundation (NSF) would receive $3.0 billion; the Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE OS) would receive $2.0 billion; and Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would receive $520 million; nearly all of these supplementals are for R&D activities. The $5.5 billion allocated to these three agencies would finally put all three budgets on track to double over the next 7 to 10 years as envisioned in the ACI, America COMPETES, and Obama campaign promises.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive $3.9 billion in the stimulus appropriations bill, divided roughly evenly between research and infrastructure (construction and maintenance of facilities). The stimulus funding would turn around a NIH budget that has been in decline since 2004. The Department of Energy's (DOE) energy programs would also be a winner with $2.0 billion for R&D and related activities in renewable energy and energy conservation, with billions more for DOE in weatherization, loan guarantee, and clean energy demonstration funds. And the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would receive $600 million, mostly for R&D.
3. Financial Aid, from the report language: "Pell Grants provide need-based scholarships for undergraduate students. Under the economic recovery bill, the (discretionary) maximum Pell Grant would increase by $500, from $4,360 to $4,860 for the 2009-2010 academic year. With the additional $490 in mandatory funding, the total Pell maximum would be $5,350. The cost of a $500 Pell award increase, plus retiring prior year shortfalls, is now $15.6 billion over two years, based on interim updated CBO economic assumptions and applicant growth, as more students are applying and qualifying for more assistance. These additional funds will provide immediate financial relief to an additional 800,000 students..."
"College Work-Study provides funds to colleges, which must be matched with 25 percent non-
Federal funds, to support low and moderate-income undergraduate and graduate students who
work while attending school. In addition, each participating institution must use at least 7 percent of its Work-Study allocation for payments to students employed in community service activities, such as community-accessible childcare and assistance for disabled students. Providing increased funding would increase the number of students working in local communities. The additional funds in the economic recovery bill, when combined with institutional matching funds, will result in a total of $613 million that will be available to support an estimated 200,000 new students in fiscal years 2009 and 2010."
4. And last, general state support. $79 billion to the state to help their own budgets. Apportioned by population. 61% must go to K-12 and HE. Each governor must request the funds to receive the allocation.
The senate is working on their own package.
STAY TUNED!
For us, follow the money. Policy issues will emerge thereafter.
So where are we?
FY '09--Appropriations has been put to bed. We just haven't seen the effects. Congress adjourned last year without officially funding the remaining part of the year--outside of defense and homeland security that is. Staff have finished the bill and a vote is expected probably after the stimulus package vote.
Stimulus--treat this as a supplemental to FY '09 even though we don't actually know what's in '09. And some of '10 too since funds will be spent later this year if a package is approved. So what's in it? The House Democrats are pushing an $800 billion plus package. A nice summary from the committee is found in their report language. This passed last night out of committee and expect on the floor next week. http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryReport01-15-09.pdf
For higher education, one can break down the package this way:
- Infrastructure
- Research, S&T R&D
- Financial Aid
- General State support.
1. Infrastructure is mainly a $6 billion repair and renovation allocation to the states based on student full time equivalents. Some "green" requirements attached. No "new" construction. Other infrastructure projects are noted at NSF, NIH but these are mainly for existing approved projects that were simply not funded due to lack of money.
2. R&D. Lot's of direct and indirect stuff. The good folks at the AAAS put this together:
AAAS estimates that the just-released House version of the 2009 stimulus appropriations bills contains $13.3 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding out of a total $550 billion in federal spending. Of that amount, $9.9 billion would go to the conduct of R&D and $3.4 billion for R&D facilities and capital equipment.
The three agencies highlighted in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 and President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) would do extremely well in the stimulus appropriations bill. The National Science Foundation (NSF) would receive $3.0 billion; the Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE OS) would receive $2.0 billion; and Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would receive $520 million; nearly all of these supplementals are for R&D activities. The $5.5 billion allocated to these three agencies would finally put all three budgets on track to double over the next 7 to 10 years as envisioned in the ACI, America COMPETES, and Obama campaign promises.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive $3.9 billion in the stimulus appropriations bill, divided roughly evenly between research and infrastructure (construction and maintenance of facilities). The stimulus funding would turn around a NIH budget that has been in decline since 2004. The Department of Energy's (DOE) energy programs would also be a winner with $2.0 billion for R&D and related activities in renewable energy and energy conservation, with billions more for DOE in weatherization, loan guarantee, and clean energy demonstration funds. And the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would receive $600 million, mostly for R&D.
3. Financial Aid, from the report language: "Pell Grants provide need-based scholarships for undergraduate students. Under the economic recovery bill, the (discretionary) maximum Pell Grant would increase by $500, from $4,360 to $4,860 for the 2009-2010 academic year. With the additional $490 in mandatory funding, the total Pell maximum would be $5,350. The cost of a $500 Pell award increase, plus retiring prior year shortfalls, is now $15.6 billion over two years, based on interim updated CBO economic assumptions and applicant growth, as more students are applying and qualifying for more assistance. These additional funds will provide immediate financial relief to an additional 800,000 students..."
"College Work-Study provides funds to colleges, which must be matched with 25 percent non-
Federal funds, to support low and moderate-income undergraduate and graduate students who
work while attending school. In addition, each participating institution must use at least 7 percent of its Work-Study allocation for payments to students employed in community service activities, such as community-accessible childcare and assistance for disabled students. Providing increased funding would increase the number of students working in local communities. The additional funds in the economic recovery bill, when combined with institutional matching funds, will result in a total of $613 million that will be available to support an estimated 200,000 new students in fiscal years 2009 and 2010."
4. And last, general state support. $79 billion to the state to help their own budgets. Apportioned by population. 61% must go to K-12 and HE. Each governor must request the funds to receive the allocation.
The senate is working on their own package.
STAY TUNED!
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