Under President Trump’s FY 20 Budget Request, ​the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would receive large cuts in funding and, as in previous years, would see many long-running programs eliminated. Overall, the agency would receive either $62 billion or $64 billion, a 12 percent or 10 percent decrease in funding levels, depending on whether one includes cancellations of Pell Grant unobligated balances or not, respectively. The Trump administration lists six main priorities for its FY 20 request:

1) Increase access to school choice;

2) Support high-need students through essential formula grant programs;

3) Protect students by promoting safe and secure schools;

4) Elevate the teaching profession through innovation;

5) Promote workforce development for the 21st century; and

6) Streamline and improve postsecondary aid programs.

The FY 20 ED Budget Request includes a list of 29 programs proposed for elimination, which it states would save $6.7 billion over the FY 19 appropriation levels. Many of these programs are of significant interest to GRC members including Strengthening Institutions, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, Javits Gifted and Talented Education, Promise Neighborhoods, International Education and Foreign Language Studies Domestic and Overseas Programs, Teacher Quality Partnership, and many more. It is important to note that these programs have been proposed for elimination in previous Trump Administration budget requests and have been continued when the time has come for actual Congressional appropriations.

Among the few programs that would receive increases are the Education Innovation and Research​ program ($300 million, $170 million above FY 19 appropriations) and the Charter Schools Program ($500 million, $60 million above FY 19 appropriations), while significant support and attention is also given to national career and technical education programs.

​In an effort to address the sixth priority above, the budget calls for expansion of Pell Grant program eligibility to include students enrolled in “high-quality short-term programs that lead to a credential, certification, or license in an in-demand field.” It also calls for an increase in institutional accountability “by requiring postsecondary institutions accepting taxpayer funds to share a portion of the financial responsibility associated with student loans.”

Another key education initiative in the budget can actually be found in the request for the U.S. Department of Treasury – a federal tax credit for voluntary donations to state-designed scholarship programs for elementary and secondary students, capped at 4 billion per year. The credit is available to individuals and domestic businesses. States, not the federal government, will determine family eligibility requirements and allowable uses of scholarship funds.

An archived webcast of the ED briefing on the FY 20 Budget Request is available here and links to ED FY 20 Budget Request materials can be found here.