Final FY20 Budget Within Reach
Congress is poised to send President Trump final appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2020. The bills, emerging nearly three months after the start of the fiscal year, were cheered by much of the higher education advocacy community.
Federal student financial aid and research programs will receive, in most cases, modest FY20 increases. The programs received bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. Of particular note, the Pell Grant maximum award (+2.4%), Federal Work Study Program (+4.4%), and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (+3%) will see meaningful increases over FY19. The National Institutes of Health (+6.7%) remained a top priority for appropriators, drawing a significant increase for the fifth straight year. Several agencies slated for termination by the administration were instead given increases over FY19 including the National Endowment for the Humanities, Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, and the Institute of Education Science.
The FY20 appropriations bills also included policy provisions that will have an impact on institutions of higher education and students. The legislation directs NIH to consider implementing the Advisory Committee to the Director's recommendations on combating foreign threats to research. The bill directs the Department of Education to work with institutions to make certain that Sec. 117 foreign gift and contracting reporting requirements are clear and to provide sufficient time for adjustment to any new requirements. The appropriations package also reauthorizes the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Initiative through 2029. Additionally, the bill aims to improve the experience of federal student loan borrowers, as they repay their loans, through increased financial education and loan servicing options.
The White House has indicated that President Trump will likely support the spending package, which would formally end the FY20 appropriations process. The FY21 process is scheduled to kick-off on February 3rd with the release of the president’s budget request to Congress. However, it remains to be seen if the administration will stick to that date.
| Agency/Office/Program Dollars in thousands, except Pell Grant maximum award |
FY19 Final | FY19 Change (from FY18) |
FY20 President’s Budget Request (PBR) |
FY20 PBR % Change (from FY19) |
FY20 Final | FY20 Final % Change (from FY19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense*, RDT&E | 94,896,708 | 7.45 | 102,647,545 | 8.2 | 104,431,232 | 10.0 |
| DOD, 6.1 Basic Research | 2,619,556 | 11.8 | 2,320,019 | -11.4 | 2,603,345 | -0.6 |
| DOD, 6.2 Applied Research | 6,068,244 | 6.8 | 5,317,204 | -12.4 | 6,069,765 | 0.0 |
| DOD, 6.3 Advanced Technology Development | 7,361,970 | 7.7 | 6,497,773 | -11.7 | 7,400,767 | 0.5 |
| DOD, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | 3,432,189 | 11.7 | 3,556,221 | 3.6 | 3,458,321 | 0.8 |
| Department of Education, Pell Grant | 22,475,352 | 0 | 22,475,372 | 0.0 | 22,475,372 | 0.0 |
| DOEd., Pell Grant Maximum | 6,195 | 1.6 | 6,195 | 0.0 | 6,345 | 2.4 |
| DOEd., Work Study | 1,130,000 | 0 | 500,000 | -55.8 | 1,180,000 | 4.4 |
| DOEd., Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants | 840,000 | 0 | 0 | -100.0 | 865,000 | 3.0 |
| DOEd., Institute of Education Science (IES) | 615,462 | 0.3 | 521,600 | -15.3 | 623,462 | 1.3 |
| DOEd., IES Regional Educational Laboratories | 55,423 | 0 | 0 | -100.0 | 56,022 | 1.1 |
| Department of Energy, Office of Science | 6,585,000 | 5.2 | 5,500,000 | -16.5 | 7,000,000 | 6.3 |
| DOE, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy | 366,000 | 3.6 | 0 | -100.0 | 425,000 | 16.1 |
| Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Science | 706,473 | 0 | 463,000 | -34.5 | 716,449 | 1.4 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science | 6,905,700 | 11.0 | 6,304,000 | -8.7 | 7,138,900 | 3.4 |
| National Endowment for the Humanities | 155,000 | 1.4 | 38,000 | -75.5 | 162,250 | 4.7 |
| National Institutes of Health | 39,084,000 | 5.4 | 34,368,000 | -12.1 | 41,684,000 | 6.7 |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology | 985,500 | -17.8 | 686,800 | -30.3 | 1,034,000 | 4.9 |
| NIST Industrial Technology Services, Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Manufacturing USA | 155,000 | 0 | 20,000 | -87.1 | 162,000 | 4.5 |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research | 525,060 | 3.5 | 309,000 | -41.1 | 548,384 | 4.4 |
| National Science Foundation | 8,075,000 | 4.0 | 7,100,000 | -12.1 | 8,278,330 | 2.5 |