-U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
While the supplemental appropriations bill's funding is welcomed as a stopgap measure, many in the education community believe the Pell Grant Program is in need of even more-possibly another $1 billion-in order to meet the needs of disadvantaged students. Recent evidence has shown that Pell Grants are effective at keeping the retention rates of low-income students on a par with students who begin college with many more advantages.
_The Pell Grant Program is what makes it possible for millions of disadvantaged students in our country to realize their dream of obtaining a college education," says House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-Ohio).
The emergency spending legislation maintains the maximum Pell Grant at $4,000; however, a number of education organizations-among them ACTE-believe that the maximum award should be increased. ACTE, the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium have called for a $500 increase.
But at least for now, as U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige notes, "This additional billion dollars will ensure that millions of low-income students who depend on Pell Grants will not face any decrease in their grants."
The Nurse Reinvestment Act, the bipartisan legislation "to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to health professions programs regarding the field of nursing," was signed into law on August 1.
The Senate bill (S.1864) was introduced by Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), who calls nurses the backbone of our health care system, caring for millions of Americans in hospitals, nursing homes and through in-home health care.
"If we don't effectively address the crisis in nursing," says Mikulski, "those hospitals, nursing homes and health centers will soon be on life support."
The Nurse Reinvestment Act is intended to address the growing shortage of nurses in the nation and includes scholarship and loan repayment programs for nurses.
Congressman Mike Bilirakis (R-Fla.), who introduced the House legislation (H.R.3487), says, "Nurses are invaluable to the success and quality of our health care delivery system. The goal of this legislation is to ensure a strong pool of talented nurses throughout the country for years to come."
Mikulski sees the Nurse Reinvestment Act as more than just a bill about nursing education. "We can empower people to have a better life and go into a career to save lives," she explains. "This bill will empower the single mom who has been working in a minimum wage job to forge a better life for herself and her family. And it will empower the nurse who has a baccalaureate degree but wants to get a master's degree so she can teach nursing at a community college."
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is making $2.4 million in grants available to help integrate Americans with disabilities into the workforce. The grants were announced on August 14, along with a cooperative agreement totaling $600,000 that will fund technical assistance and training for providers who currently operate programs that utilize the "special minimum wage" program established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
DOL has $1 million available to award one competitive grant to support the implementation and evaluation of three telework/telecommuting pilot demonstration projects involving DOL and two other federal agencies. Another $300,000 will be available for three to five grants to community and faith-based organizations to implement model employment programs to develop new, or enhance existing, employment training and/or services for people with significant disabilities. And $500,000 will be available to fund two to five competitive grants to further expand the integration of the High School/High Tech program into the One-Stop Center System.
"These grants will test new and innovative approaches that will help integrate people with disabilities into the 21st century workforce," says U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. "Every American with disabilities should have the access to opportunities for full and productive employment."
The grants will be administered by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and more information can be found at the ODEP website, .
