Understanding the Budget & Addressing Financial Need

Posted March 17, 2017 | By Cooke Foundation Staff

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March 17, 2017 – Here’s our weekly roundup of education news you may have missed. Pundits, lawmakers, and interest groups across the political spectrum shared their views on the “skinny budget” proposal. Food and housing insecurity, the Excellence Gap, and financial aid were discussed among the higher ed community. Subscribe here to receive the Cooke Chronicle each week in your inbox.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2017 Cooke Young Scholars Program! High-achieving 7th graders with financial need are encouraged to apply for this unique scholarship. Tell a talented student to start an application today!

 

Elementary & Secondary Education:

  • “President Donald Trump’s first budget seeks to slash the Education Department’s roughly $68 billion budget by $9 billion, or 13 percent in the coming fiscal year, whacking popular programs that help districts offer after-school programs, and hire and train teachers,” reports Education Week (paywall). The Huffington Post and The 74 Million also offer takes on the proposed budget.
  • The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) shares results of a poll that demonstrates bipartisan voter support for supporting gifted students. 86 percent of those surveyed agreed with “providing additional funding to schools in underserved communities specifically to support programs for gifted students.”

 

Higher Education:

  • The Washington Post‘s coverage of the Trump administration budget describes how proposed cuts to TRIO and GEAR UP programs would affect low-income and first-generation students. Additional perspectives and details on changes to Pell Grants and work study programs are available from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
  • Although more low-income high school graduates are enrolling in higher education, the Excellence Gap persists. “College enrollment by institution type is highly segregated according to parental income,” states New America.
  • A survey of 33,000 community college students finds that “two-thirds struggle with food insecurity, half are housing insecure, one-third are regularly hungry and 14 percent are homeless,” says Inside Higher Ed.
  • “Is financial aid just for giving students access to college? Or can it be used to help them complete it?” The New York Times examines how researchers are testing the effectiveness of completion grants.

 

Cooke Foundation Highlights:

  • The Cooke Foundation has worked with Teachers College, Columbia University to launch the College Advising Program (CAP). EdSurge writes that CAP “aims to address this country’s shortage of college counselors, who work with students on elements of their college experience, from admissions to course selection.”

 

Social Media Spotlight:

We’re excited to see educators sharing information about our Young Scholars Program and assisting their students with the application. Thank you for helping us reach the talented students attending your schools!