US Secretary of Education Says Biden’s FY 2023 Request Will Improve Services to Help Students Pay for College

US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has testified on behalf of President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 Budget Request for the Department of Education, emphasizing the administration’s priorities for higher education.

The 2023 budget would make historic investments in the prosperity of the nation if it prioritizes investments for five crucial matters, the US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement published by the Department of Education.

According to the statement, the 2023 budget would make a historic investment if it prioritizes funding for the following:

• Assisting students through pandemic response and recovery over long term
• Boldly addressing opportunity and achievement gaps
• Supporting talented and diverse educator workforce
• Making higher education inclusive and affordable
• Building paths through postsecondary education that lead to successful careers
• Paths through postsecondary education that lead to successful careers

“It’s my hope that Congress answers the President’s call for increased investments at the Federal level that will help our schools continue to recover from the COVID19 pandemic, address long-standing inequities that have existed in our school systems, and elevate our country’s education system to lead the world,” Cardona said.

The statement notes that in a bid to make higher education more inclusive and affordable, the Budget increases the maximum Pell Grant by $1,775 during the 2022/23 award year “through a mix of discretionary and mandatory funding” to financially assist about 6.7 million students from low and middle income groups.

“This historic increase is one piece of the Budget’s comprehensive proposal to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029. The Administration continues to support expanding federal student aid, including Pell Grant eligibility, to students who are Deferred Action for Childhood recipients – commonly known as DREAMers – and we are committed to working with Congress to advance this goal,” Cardona said.

The request also includes $2.65 billion to administer the Federal student aid programs in the fiscal year 2023, a rise of $620 million over the fiscal year 2022 enacted. 

Due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget includes a $1 billion investment to fill the gap through the School-Based Health Professionals program, which helps to build a line of professionals by offering funding that is necessary for the matter to hire them.

In his statement, Cardona mentioned that in the fiscal year 2022 legislation, the Congress provided an additional amount of $90 million to support similar activities.

The Budget also includes $514 million for the Education Innovation and Research program, and $350 million dedicated to identifying and scaling models that improve the recruitment and retention of staff in education.

Biden’s proposed discretionary request is $88.3 billion for Department of Education programs, an increase of nearly $12 billion during the fiscal year 2022 enacted level.