A few highlights of the President’s Education Budget:

President’s FY 2013 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education (from the U.S. Department of Education website)

On February 13, 2012, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2013 Budget. The following materials are available showing what this budget provides for the programs and activities of the Department of Education:

• Secretary Duncan announced that high-quality education is absolutely critical to rebuilding our economy.
• The FY 2013 Education Budget Summary and Background Information provides program information and detailed budget tables. PDF
• The FY 2013 Justifications of Appropriations Estimates to the Congress.
• For more details visit here.

Financial Aid

The Department of Education raises the amount of Pell Grants for individual awards recepients by 1.5% from 2012 funding levels. The total program costs of the Pell Grant program would decline by 13.1%.

The budget provides level funding for a number of important student aid programs including GEAR UP, TRIO and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. Additionally, the budget requests a 15.2% increase in funding for Federal Work-Study.

Research

President Obama proposed a 1.5% across the board increase in federal spending on basic scientific research. The National Institutes of Health would receive the same amount of funding as it received in 2012. The National Science Foundation would receive a 5% increase. The National Endowments for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts would both receive a 5.5% increase under President Obama’s budget proposal.

One of the best resources available to compare the President’s FY 2013 Budget to FY 2012 Appropriation levels is the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Details of Obama’s Fiscal 2013 Budget for Higher Education.

What is the President’s Budget?

The “President’s Budget” sets forth the Administration’s recommendations for the Federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Only Congress has the power of the purse, therefore the “President’s Budget” is merely a suggestion for spending. It is also a public declaration of what the President will both push for during the process and ultimately sign or veto.

Other Links:

• Obama Seeks 1.5% Rise for Basic Research, Emphasizing Economic Benefits
• President Proposes Modest Boosts for Arts, Humanities Endowments
• Highlights of Obama’s Fiscal 2013 Budget for Higher Education and Science