APA joined coalition letters, submitted testimony, and conducted outreach to key Members of Congress requesting increases in funding for a variety of programs related to learning, college student financial assistance, and support for student mental health services in the House-passed Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. APA helped ensure funding increases to the following programs:

Higher education

  • $24 million for the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, an increase of $1 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $1.1 billion for Federal TRIO programs, an increase of $10 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $1.2 billion for Federal Work Study, an increase of $30 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $6,495 for the maximum Pell Grant, an increase of $150 above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • The bill maintains $50 million for the Temporary Extended Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) program, which was established to address the administrative failures with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The Department of Education is directed to ensure that changes being considered to applications for both PSLF and TEPSLF are properly communicated to borrowers.
  • Garrett Lee Smith-Youth Suicide Prevention programs, State and Campus Grants are both flat-funded from FY 2020 enacted levels at $35.4 million and $6.5 million, respectively.

Elementary and secondary education

  • $1.2 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment State Grants (Title IV-A), an increase of $10 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $2.2 billion for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), an increase of $23 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $172 million for a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Initiative, an increase of $49 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $13 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, Grants to States, an increase of $194 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $106 million for School Safety National Activities, an increase of $1 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $107 million for Project AWARE, an increase of $5 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.

For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.