Higher Education Daily - Senate Approves Education Appropriations, Debates Other Spending Bills

Sep 28, 2026

Senate action advances education funding through appropriations and budget reconciliation measures affecting federal student aid programs. The Senate approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations package, with consequences for the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) and Pell Grant programs. Multiple stopgap bills and potential veto threats shape timing for signing, while negotiators reconcile House and Senate versions. A separate Senate HEA draft proposes higher maximum Pell Grants and increases to GSL borrowing limits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Senate Approves Education Appropriations, Debates Other Spending Bills

Maximum Pell Grants, GSLs Increased in Senate HEA Draft

HIGHER EDUCATION DAILY Monday,December 9,1985 # SENATE APPROVES EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS,DEBATES OTHER SPENDING BILLS An appropriations measure that would fund the Education Department at$18.4 billion slid through the Senate Friday with ease. By voice vote,the Senate approved the $105.9 billion Labor,Health and HumanServices and Education appropriations plan,H.R。3424,agreed to in conferencetwo weeks ago and passed by the House last Thursday(HED,Dec.6)· The bill,which now goes to the Oval Office for President Reagan's signature,would cut the Guaranteed Student Loan(GSL)program by $498 million in fiscal1986,while the Pell Grant program would lose $24 million(HED,Nov.22). Although Reagan has 10 days to sign the measure,ED could run out of cash if itis not signed by Dec.12.A second stopgap spending measure passed in Novemberis slated to expire on that date,and Reagan has threatened to veto H.J。Res.465,a third interim spending bill narrowly passed by the House last Wednesday. The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved its version of the bill,and the Senate is expected to vote on it by tomorrow.The chambers will try toiron out differences over the stopgap bill this week before sending it toReagan,who has warned he will veto it if it exceeds his budget targets. Meanwhile,conferees began meeting Friday on H.R。3128,a budget reconciliationbill passed by the House Oct.24 and the Senate Nov.14.The Senate plan wouldcut $865 million from the GSL program over three years beginning in 1986(HED,Nov.18)。The House version would take $820 million from GSLs(HED,Oct.25)。 House and Senate leaders also continued meeting Friday to resolve their dif-ferences over a plan that would require automatic across-the-board cuts in mostprograms if Congress fails to meet fixed targets to eliminate the $200 billionfederal deficit by 1991(HED,Nov.15)。That plan has been holding up passageof H.J.Res.372,a debt ceiling extension bili that must be passed byWednesday to prevent a government default,--Deborah L.Gold # MAXIMUM PELL GRANTS,GSLs INCREASED IN SENATE HEA DRAFT Both Pell Grant and Guaranteed Student Loan(GSL)annual minimums would be in-creased under the Senate Education,Arts and Humanities Subcommittee's draftplan to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The Senate proposal,released last week by subcommittee staff,would provide(more) # MAXIMUM PELL GRANTS,GSLs INCREASED IN SENATE HEA DRAFT(Cont.) for a $2,400 maximum Pell Grant in fiscal 1987,increasing that amount by $200each vear thereafter through fiscal 1991.The current cap is $2,100. Membergof the higher education community had suggested the $2,400 grant figure in arecent statement(HED,Oct.15)。 The Senate plan also would increase the GSL annual undergraduate borrowing 1im-it from $2,500 to $3,000 for freshmen and sophomores and $4,000 for juniors andseniors. Markup Starts This WeekThe long-awaited Senate proposal was made publicafter weeks of study and negotiations by subcommittee staffers,and it repre-sents a consensus of both Republican and Democratic staff.The subcommittee 1sscheduled to begin the oft-delayed markup of the bill Thursday.The amendmentswould reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 1965,scheduled to expire at theend of fiscal 1986.Virtually every federal postsecondary education program 1sauthorized by HEA,including student aid. House members last week approved their own version of a reauthorization plan,one significantly different from the Senate draft(HED,Dec.6)·Senate staf-fers said they did not consult the House version before drafting their plan. Unlike the House version,the Senate plan would completely rework the format ofthe bill,changing it from a 13-title to a two-title act.Under the Senateplan,Title I,known as "Student Assistance,"would include the current TitleIV programs for student aid,while Title II,"Institutional Aid and ProgramAssistance,"would encompass the remaining 12 titles. Aid Changes Suggested In ad

FAQs

What did the Senate approve regarding education funding?

The Senate approved an appropriations measure that would fund the Education Department and the broader Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations plan by voice vote.

How would the Senate action affect the GSL and Pell Grant programs?

The measure would cut the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program by $498 million for fiscal 1986, while the Pell Grant program would lose $24 million.

What changes does the Senate HEA draft propose for Pell Grants and GSL borrowing limits?

The draft would increase the maximum Pell Grant to $2,400 for fiscal 1987 and raise the annual undergraduate GSL borrowing limit for freshmen and sophomores from $2,500 to $3,000, with a higher limit for juniors and seniors.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by WPS_1790064749