2023 Appropriations Package Encouraging

This week, Congress announced a fiscal year 2023 appropriations package to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. We are particularly encouraged by a $500 increase to the Pell Grant, which brings the maximum grant level to $7,395 for the next academic year, and we will continue to work with the Biden administration on the pathway to doubling the Pell Grant. The $50 million for new grants for research infrastructure at historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions will provide essential support for faculty research and student development. Increases to HBCU and MSI programs, the TRIO and GEAR UP programs, CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools), and Postsecondary Student Success Grants are also critical investments for higher education. We are further pleased with the $25 million increase to the National Labor Relations Board, the first funding increase in nearly a decade, which will be instrumental to the NLRB's ability to carry out its mission.

There is still a road ahead to reversing austerity, ensuring that higher education is a public good, and protecting the rights of workers. We look forward to working with Congress in the new year on these priorities and others to support the economic security of faculty and students.