On Dec. 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee released the text of the $1.7 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. The package includes $858 billion in defense spending, a $76 billion or approximately 10% increase from FY2022 levels, and $772.5 billion in nondefense funds, a $42.5 billion or 5.5% increase over FY2022. The Senate passed the omnibus package today in a 68-29 vote, sending the package to the House for approval as soon as tonight or early Friday morning. The bill must be advanced through both chambers before the current continuing resolution expires on Friday to avoid a government shutdown. If passed, the bill will fund the government through September of 2023.
This alert provides a high-level overview of the higher education, early childhood education and nutrition programs included in the bill, along with approximate proposed funding level changes from FY2022. Overall funding for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies was $209.9 billion—a $14.8 billion or 7.1% increase from FY2022 levels. The overall funding does not include new funding for the implementation of the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, or for the Office of Federal Student Aid, as the Department of Education has used existing money in the office’s account over the past year to implement Biden’s plan.
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Program
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Description
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FY 2022 Enacted
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FY 2023 Proposed
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Change
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Higher Education
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Career, Technical, and Adult Education
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Administers and coordinates programs that are related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges.
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$2.09 billion
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$2.19 billion
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+100 million
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Pell Grant
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Increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $500, or 7.2%, to $7,395 for the 2023-2024
school year. This is the largest increase in the maximum Pell grant award since the 2009-2010
school year and further builds off the $400 increase provided last year.
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$24.58 billion
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$24.61 billion
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+30 million
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TRIO
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Helps over 800,000 low-income, first-generation students get into college and succeed when
they’re there.
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$1.14 billion
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$1.2 billion
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+54 million
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Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
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Increases access to affordable and convenient child care options for student parents.
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$200 million
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$250 million
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+50 million
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Registered Apprenticeship Program
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Expands apprenticeship opportunities, including in
traditionally underrepresented fields.
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$235 million
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$285 million
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+50 million
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Early Childhood Education
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Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
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Funds CCDBG, the main source of federal child care funding for low-income families.
This additional funding will help the program serve over 130,000 additional
children.
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$6.16 billon
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$8.02 billion
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+1.85 billion
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Head Start and Early Head Start
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Head Start and Early Head Start programs are free, federally funded programs designed to promote school readiness for children from low-income families. Funds provide for an increased cost of living adjustment and quality improvement activities.
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$11.03 billion
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$11.99 billion
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+960 million
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Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) Program
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Funding to support states that choose to develop high-quality and culturally competent dual immersion preschool programs.
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$290 million
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$315 million
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+$25 million
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IDEA Part B Preschool Grants
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Provides formula grants to states to support the educational needs of children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
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$409.5 million
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$420 million
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+$10.4 million
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IDEA Part C Grants for Infants and Toddlers
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Provides formula grant programs to assist states in providing early intervention services for infants and toddlers birth through age 2 and their families.
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$496.3 million
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$540 million
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+43.7 million
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Nutrition
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Child Nutrition Programs
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Funding to ensure that children receive nutritious meals and snacks that promote their health and educational readiness. Includes $40 million for the Summer Electronic Benefit program and $30 million for school equipment grants.
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$26.88 billion
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$28.54 billion
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+1.66 billion
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Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
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WIC aims to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods. Funding will ensure over 4 million low-income women and children do not see their benefits reduced.
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$6 billion
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$6 billion
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$0
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
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SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move toward self-sufficiency.
Funding will ensure participants receive increased benefits to support the Thrifty Food Plan as well as emergency allotments to continue to address the pandemic.
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$140.44 billion
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$153.86 billion
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+13.42 billion
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THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING EDUCATION AND NUTRITION SPENDING IN THE OMNIBUS. THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT OR IF YOU NEED LEGAL ADVICE AS TO AN ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT THE ATTORNEYS LISTED OR YOUR REGULAR BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK, LLP ATTORNEY. THIS COMMUNICATION MAY BE CONSIDERED ADVERTISING IN SOME JURISDICTIONS.