Education: Current Environment

While school systems and universities have traditionally offered critical educational training for students, in recent years, many communities have sought to leverage school and university resources to create regional economic engines, or to provide specialized skill training that is needed to advance public goals. The federal government seeks to incentivize participation of educational institutions in these federal, state, regional and local educational activities. Initiatives that are consistent with the national, bipartisan goal of improving education, providing required skills training in areas such as teaching, homeland security, or health care, or growing the nation’s economy, are often eligible for federal funding.

School and university officials that understand this system not only improve their services for the students they serve, but they also bring increased resources to their own institutions in the form of targeted federal funding, federal grants, or unique private-public partnerships. While society benefits from these educational and economic advancements, universities often raise their own profile and directly benefit from participating in the public arena.

Community Colleges are also gaining stature in a political environment focused on workforce development. The federal government is acknowledging the increased role these schools play in educating non-traditional and under-served student populations, but also as an important part of solving worker shortages in critical fields like healthcare and homeland security. Many grant and funding opportunities are available to the schools that can demonstrate their effectiveness at meeting workforce needs in their local communities. Carmen Group has experience assisting colleges in creating quality programs and marketing the programs to the appropriate stakeholders and policymakers.

Areas of particular interest to Congress and the federal agencies that set federal education policy include:

• University linkages with K-12 school systems
• Creating highly-skilled workers to compete in a global environment
• Capital improvements that enable universities to offer nationally significant programs to students
• Enhanced teacher training
• Increased use of information technology and distance learning
• Improved access to higher education for non-traditional students
• Improved educational opportunities for under-served and minority students

Since the beginning of the 110th Congress, House and Senate Congressional leaders have sought to make college more affordable. With increasing economic uncertainty, Congress is seeking to mitigate the impact of increasing numbers of lenders who continue to back out of federal loan programs. In addition, a major priority in 2008 is the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Having been 10 years since the last reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the House and Senate are eagerly working toward completion of this comprehensive legislation by the Memorial Day recess. The House and Senate bills would encourage colleges to limit price increases, reduce the rising cost of textbooks, expand college access and support for low-income and minority students, increase college aid for veterans and military facilities, strengthen campus safety and disaster readiness plans, and encourage colleges to adopt sustainable, energy-efficiency practices. Congress is also working on fiscal year 2009 appropriations measures. While each chamber has debated eliminating earmarks (Congressionally-directed discretionary spending), the Senate has rejected such proposals. As a result, Congressional earmarks will continue to direct funding for educational programs. Consequently, many opportunities exist for educational institutions to reinforce the overarching national benefits of their pragmatic initiatives to their Congressional delegation.

More information on federal programs and initiatives can be found at:

www.ed.gov
www.house.gov/appropriations
www.appropriations.senate.gov
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education
edworkforce.house.gov
help.senate.gov/Education_index.html