On Second Try, U.S. House Approves 2006 Student-Aid Funding

The U.S. House has narrowly approved a fiscal-2006 appropriations bill that maintains 2005 funding levels for most major federal student-aid programs. On a vote of 215-213, the House approved the recommendations of a joint House-Senate conference committee that include maintaining the maximum Pell-Grant award at $4,050. The House previously had rejected an earlier conference-committee report for reasons unrelated to the student-aid provisions.

The measure, which still needs final approval in the Senate, provides the following funding for federal student-aid programs.

• Pell Grant — $13.2 billion, up from $12.4 billion for 2005. The measure also includes $4.3 billion to pay off the shortfall that has been accumulating in Pell-Grant funding during the past several fiscal years.
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants — $779 million, the same as for 2005.
• Federal Work-Study — $990 million, the same as for 2005.
• Federal Perkins Loan, loan cancellation — $66 million, the same as for 2005.
• Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership — $65.6 million, the same as for 2005.
• Federal TRIO programs — $837 million, the same as for 2005.
• GEAR UP — $306 million, the same as for 2005.