Federal Education Programs and Funding

The Federal Role in Higher Education

The federal role in higher education has taken a back seat to state supported government relations since American’s post-revolutionary period. However, the federal role increased during the second half of the 20th Century with passage of Civil Rights laws and attention to critical national issues. Access, quality and national investment became guiding principles to the United States Department of Education whose official mission is “…to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.”

Access: Our 14th Amendment requires the federal government to assume responsibility for assuring access to educational opportunity. Civil Rights legislation ensures equal access.
Quality: The federal role is to promote system and program quality, and educational reform and to serve as positive partners to state and local delivery systems that formulate instruction and instructional delivery environments that are effective in meeting the needs of learners and other stakeholders.
National Investment: The federal role is to mobilize national efforts – to drive state and local action when critical education needs arise. The increase in funding for math and science instruction as a result of the Soviet launch of Sputnik is one classic example, while funding for dislocated worker training in response to economic downturn is a recent example.

Below is a general timeline of key federal initiatives that serve as the foundation to higher education policy and funding today:

1862 Passage of the Morrill Act providing for donations of public lands to states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts.
1867 Establishment of the original Department of Education, with the purpose to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the states establish effective school systems.
1917 Passage of the Smith-Hughes Act providing for vocational education aid to schools.
1944 The “GI Bill” authorized funds that allowed over 7 million World War II veterans to attend college.
1946 Passage of the George-Barden Act focusing on agriculture, industrial and home economics training.
1958 The passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was enacted in the early Cold War period as a response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik. The goal of the NDEA was to ensure that highly trained individuals would be available to compete with the Soviet Union in science and 40 technological fields. The NDEA included support for loans to college students, funds for the improvement of science, math and foreign language instruction, graduate fellowships, and vocational training.
1964 Passage of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
1965 The Higher Education Act focused on strengthening the educational resources of colleges and universities, and provided financial aid programs for needy college students.
1972 Title IX of the Education Amendments was designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
1973 The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 defines the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in, and have access to, program benefits and services funded with federal financial assistance. 1980 Congress established the Department of Education as a Cabinet level agency.

Federal Programs and Funding

The federal investment in education expenditures as a total of all education spending nationally has been estimated to be about 6 to 7 percent from the Department of Education, expanding to 10 percent when contributions from other federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture are considered. About 70 percent of total aid to students for postsecondary study comes directly or indirectly from federal sources. Following federal programs, grants and loans can be complicated. Funds can flow to states and localities through a number of different mechanisms, including formula grants, project or discretionary grants, training grants, student financial aid and earmarks. Congress sets the annual funding level for all of these programs and activities. Congressional members have varying positions related to the degree they support and how they vote on the funding levels of these programs. Some specific major federal programs which directly or indirectly fund students and/or programs within higher education are described below.

Higher Education Act: The Higher Education Act (HEA) is scheduled this year for reauthorization during the 108 th Congress, but final passage is not expected until after the election and into the 109 th Congress. Issues of focus for higher education include teacher preparation, professional development, technology, student aid and eligibility, access, review of TRIO programs, teacher quality initiatives, and a specific focus on increased college cost to students. It is expected that there also will be an added emphasis on accountability.
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act: The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act is scheduled for reauthorization in 2004, but like the HEA, will probably not be completed until well after the election and the convening of the 109 th Congress. Congress historically has been supportive in Perkins programs and funding. Key issues under discussion are expected to include defining career and technical education; supporting teacher quality, recruitment and retention; accountability; program quality and improvement; student achievement; governance and leadership issues; and funding needs. Funds from Perkins are allocated to two-year colleges for their career and technical education programs. The table below reflects Perkins career and technical education funding for FY2005.

College Name	FY 07 AWARD

Alexandria TC	$ 337,776
Anoka TC	$ 238,225
Anoka-Ramsey CC	$ 151,282
Central Lakes College	$ 301,259
Century College	$ 524,704
Dakota County TC	$ 307,345
Fond du Lac Tribal & Comm. College	$ 134,762
Hennepin TC	$ 636,426
Hibbing College	$ 208,230
Inver Hills CC	$ 252,571
Itasca /Rainy River CC	$ 103,028
Lake Superior College	$ 472,973
Mesabi Range CTC	$ 114,331
Minneapolis College	$ 998,546
Minnesota State CTC	$ 630,775
Minnesota SC - Southeast Technical	$ 340,819
Minnesota West College	$ 341,688
Normandale CC	$ 197,796
North Hennepin CC	$ 348,643
Northland College	$ 552,526
Northwest TC - Bemidji	$ 195,188
Pine TC	$ 100,854
Ridgewater College	$ 476,450
Riverland College	$ 235,617
Rochester College	$ 413,416
South Central TC	$ 332,124
St. Cloud TC	$ 385,160
St. Paul TC	$ 695,113
Vermilion CC	$ 59,991
System Total	$ 10,087,620

Welfare Reform (Temporary Aid to Needy Families or TANF): TANF was scheduled for reauthorization in 2002, but reauthorization has not yet been completed. Of particular interest to higher education is TANF’s current provision limiting the use of funds for education and training to 12 months and limiting how many recipients can participate in educational activities. Continuing resolutions have been granted and TANF reauthorization discussion remains stalled.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA): The Workforce Investment Act was scheduled for reauthorization in 2003 and has not yet been resolved. Issues debated have included simplifying performance reporting requirements, improving accountability for training providers, ensuring the continuation of a community-based system and increasing access to Individual Training Accounts for training at community and technical colleges. Pros and cons of funding for universal services vs. providing funds for job training continue to be debated.

General Election

2006 Election

The entire U.S. House of Representatives is up for election in 2006, including one Senate seat, Sen. Mark Dayton. It is likely that incumbents seeking re-election and others running for Congress will be visiting college and university campuses early this fall. The 2006 congressional election is considered by many to be competitive and very important because it reflects the close balance of power in the U.S. Congress between the two major political parties.

The American system of separate powers between Congress and the President provides Congress with a strong role in policy-making. The President does not pass laws or budgets – Congress does. In a system where members are free to vote as they wish, party discipline has been harder to maintain as members consider their own reelection and constituent expectations. Every congressional race, win or lose, becomes critical to building a congressional majority for both parties. In 16 of the last 24 years, there has been a “divided government” where one party controls Congress and the other holds the office of President. The House has been controlled by Republicans since 1994, and the Senate from 1994 until 2000. Third parties have not had a strong showing nationally, even with the recent increase of independent candidates.

The U.S. House was designed to be large, with representation closest to the population. Elections are held every two-years. Some consider this too frequent with members focusing on winning elections more than national policy making. Each seat represents a geographic area, with each state guaranteed at least one seat. The rest of the seats are awarded by population. Minnesota has eight seats, while California has 53.

Every state has two Senate seats, up for re-election every six years. One-third of the Senate seats are up for election every two years. Senator Mark Dayton is up for re-election this year, but Senator Norm Coleman is not up for re-election until 2008.

Congressional District Map

Listing of Major 2006 Candidates

Minnesota ’s Congressional Delegation currently has a balanced representation of Democrats and Republicans. The first, second and third districts remain strongholds of the Republicans, while the fourth, fifth and eighth district seats have long been held by Democrats. The fifth and sixth seats are open seats this election. Martin Sabo from the fifth district is retiring and Mark Kennedy from the sixth district is running for the open U.S. Senate seat.

Below is a listing of Districts and the incumbent seeking re-election, their major opponent, and the colleges and universities in each district.

District	Incumbent	Opponent	District Colleges/Universities
1	Gil Gutknecht (R)	Tim Walz(D) Gregory Mikkelson (R)	- Minnesota West (Jackson, Pipestone, Worthington) - Rochester Community and Technical College - Riverland Community College (Austin and Albert Lee) - South Central Technical College (Mankato) - Minnesota State University, Mankato - Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical (Winona) - Winona State University
2	John Kline (R)	Coleen Rowley(D) Douglas Williams (I)	- Dakota County Technical College - Inver Hills Community College - South Central Technical College (Faribault) - Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical (Red Wing)
3	James Ramstad (R)	Kevin Smith(D) Gavin Sullivan (D) Wendy Wilde (D)	- North Hennepin Community College - Normandale College - Hennepin Technical College - Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Coon Rapids)
4	Betty McCollum (D)	Jack Shepard(R) Obi Sium (R)	- Century College - Metropolitan State University - Saint Paul College
5	Martin Sabo (D) retiring	Keith Ellison (D) Mike Erlandson (D) Andrew Favorite (D) Alan Fine (R) Gregg Iverson (D) Tammy Lee (I) Paul Ostrow (D) Jay Pond (Green) Ember Junge (D) Patrick Wiles (D)	- Minneapolis Community and Technical College
6	Mark Kennedy (R) running for Senator	Michele Bachmann (R) John Binkowski (I) Patty Wetterling (D)	- Anoka Technical College - St. Cloud Technical College - St. Cloud State University
7	Collin Peterson (D)	Michael Barrett(R) Ken Lucier (Constitution) Erik Thompson (D)	- Alexandria Technical College - Bemidji State University - Minnesota State Community and Technical College (Detroit Lakes , Fergus Falls , Moorhead) - Minnesota West (Canby, Granite Falls) - Minnesota State University Moorhead - Northland Community and Technical College (Thief River Falls , East Grand Forks) - Northwest Technical College (Bemidji) - Ridgewater College - Southwest Minnesota State University (Marshall)
8	James Oberstar (D)	Rod Grams (R) Harry Welty (Unity)	- Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Cambridge) - Central Lakes College (Brainerd, Staples) - Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College - Lake Superior College - Minnesota State Community and Technical College (Wadena) - Pine Technical College - Northeast Higher Education District (Hibbing , Itasca , Mesabi, Rainy River, Vermilion)