This letter is written by Roberto J. Rodriguez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, U.S. Department of Education. The letter is in response to questions brought to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) regarding the permissibility of Department grantees and subgrantees using Federal funds granted by…

In this edition of "Voices From the Field," we explore practical strategies for maximizing the impact of Title I, Part D funds through effective, efficient, and timely spending. We highlight common challenges that programs face in utilizing these funds and offer actionable solutions to overcome them. Three experienced coordinators share…

The purpose of this flash report is to share with the U.S. Department of Education (Department) observations made by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) concerning grantees and subgrantees inconsistently reporting audit data on Department subprograms, or unique components of a program, to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC), the designated…

When a community loses its Head Start provider, the Office of Head Start (OHS) deploys its interim manager to temporarily operate this federally funded early childhood education program. Since 2000, OHS has placed more than 200 programs under interim management. As of September 2024, 18 of 1,600 Head Start programs nationwide were under interim…

In 2000, federally funded public adult education programs provided basic skills training and English language instruction to over 2.6 million students, or about 1.5% of the U.S. adult population. By 2021, enrollment had plummeted to under 900,000, or less than 0.4% of adults. What explains these declines? This policy brief describes the evolution…

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) consistently dedicates significant resources to the oversight of Federal student assistance programs programs due to the risks associated with their complexity, high levels of funding, large numbers of program participants, and reliance on contractors. Through the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), the U.S.…

The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is the nation's only source of dedicated federal funding to support the creation, expansion, and replication of public charter schools. Since FY2019, the CSP has been flat funded at $440 million. The CSP amounts to less than 1% of federal spending on K-12 education, however, it has a substantial impact on the…

The Children's Budget 2022 provides a comprehensive analysis of the share of spending allocated to kids across more than 250 government programs in the federal budget. This report provides an overview of the full report, where analysis found that the share of spending domestically and internationally on children has increased in recent years. [For…

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is the Nation's second-largest food and nutrition assistance program, providing billions of meals to tens of millions of children and adolescents each year. USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) periodically reports on NSLP policies and program operations, often after major changes to the program's rules…

Federal Student Aid (FSA), a principal office of the United States (U.S.) Department of Education (Department), is required by law to produce an annual report, which details the organization's fiscal year financial and program performance. The Federal Student Aid FY 2024 Annual Report (Annual Report) is a comprehensive document that provides an…

Rising college prices and student debt, the growth and collapse of online for-profit colleges, and expansions of federal grant, loan, and loan forgiveness policies have increased calls for more accountability in our higher education system. And there is significant consensus among lawmakers that the existing set of quality assurance policies for…

Education tax credits provide federal financial aid to a wide expanse of American taxpayers; however, little research or analysis has been done on these costly programs. There has been little evidence of its link to college enrollment growth. This descriptive paper outlines the establishment of education tax credits, their original intent, and the…

For 35 years, the mission of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has been to Champion Hispanic Success in Higher Education. HACU fulfills its mission by: promoting the development of member colleges and universities; improving access to and the quality of postsecondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students; and…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation's most important anti-hunger program, providing food assistance to people with low incomes, including postsecondary students, workers, children, people with disabilities, seniors, and many more. The needs of college students have changed drastically over time, requiring more…

With the economic halt precipitated by the COVID-19 virus, states are starting to prepare for and beginning to address the budgetary squeeze that is sure to come absent of massive federal stimulus dollars. At the end of March, New York State was the first state to come out with a post-COVID-19 state budget (the Legislative Budget). In early April,…