Higher Education Sees Significant Increases In New Federal Funding Bill

Congress is trying to pass a roughly $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill this week that will keep the federal government open through next September. Lawmakers have been hammering out an agreement that includes funding for policies authorized previously by Congress as well as several new priorities. It provides $858 billion for defense funding and $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary items.

Higher education received increases in several areas, which, although not as large as many advocates would have hoped for, will continue recent progress in areas of financial aid, research, student support,...