On Thursday President Biden submitted a budget proposal to Congress. The proposal would include an increase of 13.6 percent to spending at the U.S. Department of Education, for a total of $90 billion.
Among the priorities outlined in the document are a grant program that would “lay the groundwork” for free community college nationwide through two-year scholarships and a $500 million demonstration grant to expand free preschool to children in Title-I eligible school attendance areas. The proposal would also provide $15 billion over 10 years to support expansion of the Community Eligibility Program, an increase to the maximum Pell grant by $820, and a 27% increase in the operation budget of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education -- a request that drew criticism from top Senate education Committee Republican Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who suggested funds would be used “to promote biological males competing in female sports." And the administration has renewed its ask for $200 million for a Career Connected High Schools dual-enrollment initiative.
But changes in funding are not always spread equally throughout programs or even within Titles – for example, National leadership activities under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) would see their funding double under this program, while State grants would stay stagnant.
In a nod to Republicans in Congress who have called for reducing the rate of spending, the proposal also suggests $3 billion in deficit reduction.
Additional proposed funding levels are outlined in the table below (note that amounts proposed are in thousands of dollars.
| Program | FY 2023 Final | FY 2024 President’s proposal | Percent change v. FY 2022 |
| Title I | $19,088 | $20,536 | 11.69% |
| Title II | $2,190 | $2,190 | -- |
| 21st Century | $1,330 | $1,330 | -- |
| Title IV-A/SSAE | $1,380 | $1,405 | 1.81% |
| IDEA Part B | $14,194 | $16,259 | 14.55% |
| CTE State Grants | $1,430 | $1,473 | 3.04% |
| AEFLA | $729 | $759 | 4.11% |
| CCDBG | $8,021 | $9,000 | 12.2% |
