Yesterday, the Biden-Harris Administration released its budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2024 (Program Year 2024-2025).
This proposal asks Congress to provide a $107 million (or 9%) funding increase for TRIO, for a total proposed appropriation of $1.3 billion in FY24.
The Administration’s budget would also increase the maximum Pell Grant by $820 (or 11%), for a total maximum Pell Grant award of $8,215. Additionally, the Administration is requesting a $20 million (or 5%) funding increase for GEAR UP, for a total proposed appropriation of $408 million. The Administration has proposed “flat-funding” the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and the Federal Work-Study grants at the FY2023 levels of $910 million and $1.23 million, respectively.
COE applauds this proposed increase as it would allow TRIO programs to move closer to its goal of serving 1 million students and provide much-needed cost-of-living increases for all current programs to serve students more intensively. Our community will fight for this amount when more than 600 TRIO educators, advocates, and alumni visit Capitol Hill in just over a week during COE’s 42nd Annual Policy Seminar.
With the annual budget process rolling out while the federal government must make critical decisions regarding the looming debt ceiling crisis, our community must have an amplified voice to secure the futures of our students and programs.
We have much work to do.
We look forward to seeing many of you in Washington, D.C., as we kick off our annual fight for TRIO funding. We look forward to working with all of you in the following weeks as we work together to organize local congressional meetings and continue our advocacy efforts.
Thank you for your continued advocacy for TRIO programs and the first-generation, low-income students and students with disabilities you serve.
Sincerely,
Maureen Hoyler