President Obama's Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 budget, released on March 4, reflects the Administration's commitment to helping low-income individuals and vulnerable families access pathways to economic mobility, healthy development, and high quality of life. The budget proposal adheres to spending levels established in the Bipartisan Budget…

The price tag on a college education is higher than ever--but not having a degree is even more costly, according to recent studies. However, for lower-income students, getting to a college degree isn't so simple. Student financial need after grant aid (commonly referred to as "unmet need") averages $6,000 for students, even at…

In a typical month in 2011, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) served 4.3 million low-income young adults ages 18-24, helping them buy needed groceries. This brief report demonstrates the detrimental impact the cuts proposed to SNAP in the House-passed Farm bill (H.R. 3102)--which is now…

Congress did not enact a continuing resolution bill by midnight September 30, 2013, thereby triggering a partial government shutdown effective October 1, 2013. October 1 began the federal fiscal year 2014. Most discretionary programs, those that are subject to the annual Congressional appropriations process, will not receive 2014 funding. Most,…

This guide aims to help states look beyond the major sources of child care and early education funding and consider alternative federal financing sources to bring comprehensive services into early childhood settings. Why? Because the sources of child care funding historically available to states have limited supply and allowable uses, and…

At no time in recent history has the importance of adult education been greater and the funding more threatened. Despite the fact that as many as 93 million adults in the U.S. may need basic skills services to improve their economic prospects, funding for these services is stagnating at the federal level and being slashed in statehouses and state…

The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (AEEGA) was introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2011 by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) and in February 2012 in the Senate by Sen. Jim Webb (VA). The Act (H.R. 2226 and S. 2117) would amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to encourage the use and availability of career pathways for…

Since its creation in 1965, Head Start has provided high quality early education and comprehensive support services to three- and four-year-olds in poor families. In addition to early learning opportunities, Head Start's comprehensive early childhood development program provides children and families with access to a range of services such as…

Two proposals to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) are in the House of Representatives: the "Workforce Investment and Improvement Act of 2012" ("H.R. 4297") and the "Workforce Investment Act of 2012" ("H.R. 4227"). Both proposals reflect a priority of greater alignment among adult education (Title II), workforce development (Title I),…

The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (AEEGA) was introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2011 by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15). The bill (H.R. 2226) would amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to encourage the use and availability of career pathways for low-skilled adults, strengthen the focus of adult education on postsecondary…

At the beginning of 2009, with the country facing the worst of the economic crisis, the president and Congress understood that Americans needed help paying for child care to get back to work in the recession. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, they allocated an additional $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block…

The Race to The Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) is designed to improve the quality of early learning and development and close the achievement gap for children with high needs. The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services define high needs to include children who are English learners, often referred to as English Language…

The latest Evidence-Based Home Visiting Supplemental Information Request (SIR) has recently been released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with collaboration from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) as outlined in the first Funding Opportunity…

One in four young children in the United States lives in an immigrant family. Federal law establishes policies on immigrant eligibility for child care assistance, yet questions regarding eligibility remain at the state and local level. Most child care assistance is funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Temporary…

Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in a vote of 354-58. This legislation, H.R. 4137, moves Congress one step closer to the long-awaited reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs federal student financial aid and other programs that promote access for low-income…