By Louisa Woodhouse, Senior Associate, Policy and Advocacy
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On Thursday, July 31, the United States Senate Appropriations Committee convened to markup its proposed Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The bill was reported favorably out of Committee with a bipartisan vote of 26-3.
The Senate LHHS bill provides level funding for the maximum Pell Grant, TRIO and GEAR UP, Federal Work Study, and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and near-level funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps). The bill is a notable departure from the Trump Administration’s FY26 budget request, released in June, which called for the total
elimination of many higher education funding programs, including TRIO, GEAR UP, SEOG, PSSG, and AmeriCorps, and significant cuts to spending on the maximum Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, and student aid administration.
The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is glad to see that the Senate sustained funding for many key education programs in the FY26 bill. That said, without increases in appropriations, the purchasing power of key student aid programs will continue
to erode. After historic increases to the Pell Grant in FY22 and FY23, for example, the maximum award has stayed stagnant. Currently, it covers only a third of the cost of attendance at a public bachelor’s-granting institution.
As the next step in the appropriations process, the House of Representatives and the Senate will have to pass and reconcile their bills, before a final package can be signed into law. Congress will be on recess beginning August 4 and will return in September
with an ambitious goal ahead. If the FY26 spending package is not passed by September 30, 2025, we may be headed for a government shutdown or another continuing resolution -- which would provide stopgap funding until FY26 funding levels are set.
While we don’t have a crystal ball, we will keep you informed, as always, as the process unfolds. For questions, reach out to Louisa Woodhouse, Senior Associate, Policy and Advocacy, (woodhouse@ncan.org) or Catherine
Brown, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy (brownc@ncan.org).
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