You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.

The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill Thursday that includes nearly $31 billion in total higher education funding for fiscal year 2022.

The bill, which primarily includes Democratic priorities and aligns closely with President Biden's budget proposal, was approved by a vote of 33 to 25. No substantial amendments were made to any of the higher education provisions during the full committee markup.

It includes $27.2 billion for federal student aid programs and another $3.43 billion for higher education programs. It also increases the maximum federal Pell Grant by $400 to $6,895.

"With an increase of nearly $20 billion to strengthen federal support for high-poverty schools, and a $400 increase for the maximum Pell Grant, we are making postsecondary education more affordable, accessible and achievable for more students," said Appropriations Committee chair Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut. "And with $1.13 billion for programs serving historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and underresourced institutions of higher education, we are making our education system more accessible and equitable."