2017 Education Budget Request -- Spaces4Learning

Funding

2017 Education Budget Request

By Deb Moore
02/15/16

On February 9, 2016 President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2017 Budget. The President's budget request for FY 2017 includes $69.4 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of a 2 percent ($1.3 billion) over the 2016 appropriation. The focus of the 2017 Budget includes increasing equity and excellence; providing support for teachers and school leaders; expanding access, affordability, and completion in higher education.

The budget supports the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and replaces the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the previous version of the law that was enacted in 2002.

Details of the budget proposal include:

$15.4 billion for Title I Grants to school districts
A commitment to early learning as a path to opportunity anchored by President Obama's Preschool for All proposal
$120 million for a new Stronger Together Grants program
$4 billion in mandatory funding over three years for the new Computer Science for All program
$138 million for more vigorous enforcement of our nation's civil rights laws
$1 billion mandatory investment to support a nationwide effort to attract and retain effective teachers in high-need schools
$125 million for the proposed Teacher and Principal Pathways program
$10 million for Teach to Lead grants
$61 billion in mandatory funding over the next decade for America's College Promise
Support and encourage on-time degree attainment through Pell for Accelerated Completion
Increase the Pell Grant by an additional $300 through the On-Track Pell Bonus
Reward colleges that successfully enroll and graduate a significant number of low-income students through the new College Opportunity and Graduation Bonus program
Expand postsecondary opportunity to incarcerated individuals eligible for release through the Second Chance Pell proposal

More information on the Department of Education's budget request can be found at www.ed.gov/budget.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.
Washington State District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

Cheney School District No. 360 in Spokane County, Wash., recently announced that construction has begun on a new elementary school, according to local news. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 18 in Airway Heights for the yet-to-be-named school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027.
University of Kansas Breaks Ground on Entrepreneurship Hub

The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, according to university news. The Hub is part of the university’s School of Business and will include spaces for experiential learning and programming.
USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.