Budget and Appropriations
Section 1 Content
The federal government supports the work of colleges and universities by funding programs for student financial aid, scientific research, institutional support, and other activities. The American Council on Education (ACE) monitors the annual federal budget and appropriations process from start to finish, with a particular focus on how the decisions made may impact student aid. Throughout the process, ACE’s Government Relations division meets with congressional staff, advocates for appropriate funding, analyzes policy, and reviews and advises on legislation.
April 7, 2025
Letter to the Education Department on FY 2025 Appropriations
On behalf of 19 other higher education organizations, ACE wrote to Education Secretary Linda McMahon urging her to confirm that all higher education programs will be funded at FY 2024 levels through the end of this fiscal year.
February 10, 2025
Potential Offsets Impacting Higher Ed
House Budget Committee Republicans assembled a menu of options for a reconciliation package. This document identifies proposals that could impact colleges and universities.
October 8, 2024
Letter to Congress on the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act
On behalf of 18 other higher education associations, ACE shared concerns with the House and Senate armed services committees about provisions in the NDAA that would place restrictions on institutions' research activity.
September 29, 2023
Letter Opposing the House Continuing Resolution for FY 2024
ACE, on behalf of five other higher education associations, wrote to leaders of the House of Representatives to express disapproval of a proposed continuing resolution that would reduce funding for higher education.
July 28, 2023
Letter on House FY 2024 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill
ACE, on behalf of of 29 other higher education organizations, wrote to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee with concerns about proposed cuts for higher education programs in the House's Labor-HHS-Education funding bill for FY 2024.
May 17, 2023
Higher Education and a Debt Ceiling Default
A memo examining the potential impact on higher education if the U.S. federal government fails to raise the national debt ceiling, causing the United States to default on its obligations.
December 14, 2022
Letter to the Senate on Research Funding for HBCUs, MSIs in the 2023 NDAA
Letter from ACE and 16 other higher education organizations to Senate leaders in support of provisions in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act funding research at historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hi...
April 19, 2022
Letter to Appropriations Subcommittees on Education Funding Priorities for FY 2023
Letter from the Student Aid Alliance to House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations subcommittees requesting that student aid remains a high priority in the funding bill for FY 2023.
February 3, 2022
Letter to Congress on Doubling the Pell Grant
Along with 188 partner organizations, ACE sent this letter to congressional leaders yesterday asking them to consider doubling the maximum Pell Grant as they work toward a spending agreement for FY 2022.
October 27, 2021
Letter to Congress on Higher Education Priorities in the Build Back Better Plan
ACE and a coalition of higher education organizations urge House and Senate leadership to preserve critical investments in college affordability and completion in the final Build Back Better package.
October 20, 2021
Letter to Congress in Support of the Higher Education Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
Letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging Congress to retain the level of higher education funding and key tax provisions provided in the Build Back Better Act passed by the House Budget Committee.
September 23, 2021
Letter to House Leadership on Repealing Pell Grant Taxability
Letter from ACE and other assocations to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging them to repeal the taxability of Pell Grants in the FY 2022 budget reconciliation process.
September 22, 2021
Letter to the Senate Finance Committee on Repealing Pell Grant Taxability
ACE President Ted Mitchell writes to urge members of the Senate Finance Committee to repeal the taxability of Pell Grants in the FY 2022 budget reconciliation process.
September 9, 2021
Letter of Support for the FY 2022 Budget Reconciliation Bill
Letter to the House Education and Labor Committee in support of the investments this legislation makes in students, educators, and institutions, and requesting lawmakers to include funding to double the maximum Pell Grant award.
September 3, 2021
Letter to Chairs and Ranking Members of the Ways and Means and Finance Committee on Repeal of the Taxability of Pell Grant Aid in Reconciliation
On behalf of ACE and the undersigned higher education associations are writing to urge you to repeal the taxability of Pell Grants by incorporating the “Tax-Free Pell Grant Act” in Reconciliation.
July 23, 2021
Letter of Support for the FY 2022 Labor HHS Minibus Bill
ACE and the other undersigned organizations write in support of the Fiscal Year 2022 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill that will be considered on the floor as part of the FY22 minibus of appropriations b...
July 14, 2021
Letter of Support for the FY 2022 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill
Letter to the chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee in support of the higher education provisions in the FY 2022 Labor-HHS-Education bill.
June 14, 2021
Letter to Chairs and Ranking Members of the Ways and Means and Finance Committee on Higher Ed Tax Proposals in American Jobs and American Families Plan
We are urging Congress to include the tax proposals onlined here in any legislation that incorporates the American Jobs and American Families plans.
June 4, 2021
Letter on Higher Education Appropriations for FY 2022
Letter from ACE and 48 other higher education associations to House and Senate appropriators outlining the priorities for students, institutions, and researchers as Congress works on funding bills for FY 2022.
March 25, 2021
Request to Congress: Double the Pell Grant
Letter to Congress from nearly 1,200 organizations, including nearly 900 colleges and universities, requesting lawmakers to double to amount of the maximum Pell Grant award.
March 25, 2021
Talking Points: Why Congress Should Double the Pell Grant
This important investment will drive economic recovery, help address racial and economic inequities in college completion rates, and increase overall educational attainment.
April 16, 2025
dotEDU Live: Harvard Pushes Back, Visa Chaos, and the Fight for Research Funding
This episode of dotEDU Live dives into the Trump administration’s sweeping demands on Harvard, the spike in international student visa revocations, and escalating legal battles over federal research funding.
March 20, 2025
dotEDU Live: What the Department of Education Layoffs Mean for Colleges and Universities
The hosts are joined by ACE President Ted Mitchell to explore the sweeping layoffs at the Department of Education and their impact on colleges and universities.
March 18, 2025
Higher Education & The Trump Administration
Executive orders, agency memos and directives, news stories and other resources on the Trump administration's first weeks in office.
March 12, 2025
Massive Layoffs at Department of Education Spark Concern Across Higher Education
The Trump administration’s decision to cut nearly half of the Department of Education’s workforce has sparked serious concerns across higher education, as institutions, students, and policy experts assess the loss of thousands of staff.
March 5, 2025
dotEDU Live: More Policy Shifts, More Uncertainty for Colleges
The hosts discuss the Education Department’s revised FAQ on DEI policies, newly confirmed Secretary Linda McMahon’s plans for the department, the Trump administration’s increasing use of federal funding to pressure institutions, and more.
March 3, 2025
Congress Moves to Slash Higher Ed Funding in Budget Showdown
Congress is advancing a budget bill that could impose deep cuts to programs that support students and colleges—while also introducing tax changes that could make it harder for students to afford college and for institutions to sustain their missions.
February 14, 2025
Budget Deadline Approaches as Congress Weighs Higher Ed Cuts
Several concerning proposals have emerged, including steep tax increases on university endowments, new taxes on college scholarships, and the elimination of critical student loan repayment options like SAVE.
February 7, 2025
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Trump Administration Move to Slash Research Indirect Cost Rate
This decision is short-sighted, naive, and dangerous. It will be celebrated wildly by our competitors, who will see this for what it is—a surrender of U.S. supremacy in medical research.
February 6, 2025
dotEDU Live: New Orders and New Challenges for Higher Education
In this all-Q&A episode of dotEDU Live, hosts Jon Fansmith, Mushtaq Gunja, and Sarah Spreitzer break down the latest policy shifts, legal battles, and administrative chaos facing colleges and universities in the Trump administration’s first weeks.
February 3, 2025
OMB Funding Pause, More EOs Mark Hectic Week for Higher Ed
Following a chaotic first week of the new Trump administration that included more than two dozen executive orders—many affecting higher education—week two followed a similar pattern.
January 29, 2025
dotEDU Live: What the Trump Administration’s Funding Freeze Means for Higher Education
This episode of dotEDU Live unpacks the Trump administration’s abrupt federal grant freeze, the court’s last-minute intervention, and what the rapidly evolving situation means for higher education.
January 28, 2025
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Federal Assistance Pause
We call on the Trump administration to rescind the memo issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
January 9, 2025
dotEDU Live: ACE Fellows Go to DC (and get snowed in)!
In this special episode of dotEDU Live, hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer engage with the distinguished ACE Fellows, a prestigious group of faculty, staff, and administrators who are preparing for senior leadership roles in higher education.
December 12, 2024
dotEDU Live: Higher Education’s Path Forward in Trump’s Second Term
In this episode of dotEDU Live, Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer are joined by a full team of ACE experts—Steven Bloom, Peter McDonough, and Emmanual Guillory—to take a look at what the post-election landscape looks like for higher education policy.
November 12, 2024
Congress Eyes FAFSA Reforms and Anti-Hazing Bills in Post-Election Legislative Push
Lawmakers are returning to Washington this week for the post-election lame duck session of Congress, the final legislative push before the 118th Congress adjourns.
November 7, 2024
dotEDU Live: What Trump’s Win and a New Congress Mean for Higher Education
In this special post-election episode recorded on November 6, ACE President Ted Mitchell joined hosts Jon Fansmith, Sarah Spreitzer, and Mushtaq Gunja to discuss the 2024 election results and their implications for higher education.
September 30, 2024
SAA Urges Administration to Boost Student Aid in FY 2026
The Student Aid Alliance is asking the administration to provide robust increases for federal student aid in its FY 2026 budget proposal.
September 16, 2024
dotEDU Live: Campuses, Congress, and the Campaign Trail This Fall
With Congress in a monthlong sprint, hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer explore the flurry of messaging bills in Congress along with the legislation lawmakers actually need to pass before heading out for full-time campaigning.
August 5, 2024
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Higher Ed Spending Bill
In one of Congress' final actions before the August recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee last week advanced a bill to fund the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies.
July 12, 2024
dotEDU Live: From Heat Waves to Fall Challenges
In the final episode of dotEDU this season, Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer discuss decisions that Congress faces prior to heading out for vacations and the campaign trail. The podcast will return in September.
June 27, 2024
House Subcommittee Advances Spending Bill with Higher Ed Cuts
A House Subcommittee advanced a spending bill that includes substantial cuts to several key higher education programs for FY 2025, which begins Oct. 1.
Rail Content 1
Higher Education & The Trump Administration Transition
Explore Resources