Take Action
Urge your senators and representative to support the largest possible increases in education funding.
Funding for much of the U.S. government, including the Department of Education, expires on Dec. 20. The Senate is taking a bipartisan approach to FY2025 funding, adhering to funding levels in previously passed legislation while investing in targeted increases like IDEA and Title I. Driven by GOP extremists, the House is pushing to slash Department of Education funding by $11 billion or 14 percent.
The public schools that educate the vast majority of students—9 out of 10—are chronically underfunded. Due to years of budget caps, ongoing education programs receive $13.6 billion less in annual appropriations than they received a dozen years ago (after adjusting for inflation).
To reverse this tragic trajectory, we urge Congress to invest in targeted increases. Priorities include:
- Title I programs for schools with high-poverty populations
- Title II grants to recruit and retain educators
- IDEA state grants for special education and related services
- Community schools that fit each neighborhood’s needs
- Perkins state grants for career and technical education (CTE)
- Pell grants to help make higher education affordable
- Mental health care services for students and educators
- Minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities
- English Language Learner (ELL) state grants to help 5 million students become proficient in English
- Federal Student Aid (FSA) funding for the administration of student loan programs