Provisions and funding levels for student aid and scientific research in the Fiscal Year 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill signed into law on March 23.
Policy Provisions
A provision sought by NASFAA and ACE that clarifies existing law
to allow institutions to share financial date with organizations that
provide scholarships.
A provision barring the use of funds by the Secretary of
Education to reorganizing or decentralizing the Budget Service within
the Department of Education. A related provision directs the Secretary
to inform the Appropriations Committees prior to any reorganizing or
restructuring within the Department.
A provision directing the Secretary to increase the full-time
equivalent staff of ED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and to maintain
the twelve existing OCR regional offices.
A provision that amends existing legislation governing the awarding of Pell Grants for families of fallen first responders.
Several related provisions regarding the handling of student
loan servicing by the Department of Education. The language bars a move
to a single servicer; requires the Secretary to evaluate servicers and
assign new contracts on the basis of previous performance; requires the
Secretary to use previous performance as a factor in the selection of
servicers for new contracts; and requires subcontractors of servicers to
meet the same standards as contractors.
A provision extending the period for the Secretary to provide
temporary emergency impact aid for displaced students under the
Hurricane Education Recovery section of the Bipartisan Budget Act, until
December 31, 2018.
A provision continuing FY17 language that prohibits the
Secretary from rejecting TRIO applications due to minor technical or
budgetary issues.
A provision that requires the Secretary to make quarterly
reports on the Department’s granting of partial relief under borrower
defenses to repayment.
The bill provides $350 million in funding for the cancellation
of student loans under Public Service Loan Forgiveness for otherwise
eligible borrowers who were in the wrong repayment plan. The bill also
includes $2.3 million for ED to make outreach efforts to potential PSLF
participants.
The bill includes $1 million for “the Department of Education to
establish a pilot grant program to support technological upgrades for
community colleges for the purpose of supporting cybersecurity
programs.”
The bill includes $5,000,000 for “a pilot, competitive grant
program to support projects at institutions of higher education that
create new open textbooks or expand their use in order to achieve
savings for students while maintaining or improving instruction and
student learning outcomes.”
The bill includes $10 million in new funding and provisions
related to ED’s financial responsibility scores and the deferment of
outstanding loans for private historically Black colleges and
universities (HBCUs). It also includes a new provision regarding an
outreach plan to help additional public HBCUs participate in the
program.
A provision that would prohibit the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) from capping Facilities and Administrative (F&A)
costs.
A provision that clarifies the ability of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to allow for research on the causes of gun violence. HHS
is still limited from using appropriated funds to advocate or promote
gun control under the 1996 Dickey Amendment.
Funding Chart for Student Aid and Research (click to enlarge)
