Higher Education and Gainful Employment

On February 18th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan amendment to defund the Department of Education’s proposed “gainful employment” rule.  The Kline-Hasting Amendment was included in the House of Representatives Continuing Resolution Budget bill that passed on February 22nd.

On March 2nd, President Obama signed a bill passed by both Chambers of Congress for a two week funding extension to keep the federal government open and operating. It is unclear when the U.S. Senate will consider the budget proposal.  The Senate may debate this amendment in the near future.

NHCSL has been vocal about our concern for the proposed regulation and its potential effect on minority students.  In November 2010, NHCSL passed a resolution encouraging the Department of Education to refrain from implementation of this proposed rule until its effects on Hispanic, low-income and other minority populations have been properly reviewed.

Broadband Update

In Puerto Rico, only 31 percent of the public has Internet access via broadband service.  To change this fact, the US Department of Commerce provided a $26 million grant to the Island for broadband development.  The source of the funding was the 2009 stimulus bill through the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  The project will bring near universal broadband access while lowering costs and providing all citizens on the island the benefits of the world wide web.

Back on the mainland, Latinos compose a mixed picture when it comes to adoption of broadband technology.  According to the Washington Post, Latinos use cell phones and mobile broadband to access the Internet more than any other group, yet the community continues to lag in adoption at home.  The low adoption rates also reflect lower confidence in digital skills that ultimately undermines the rate at which Latinos adopt broadband.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in its effort to promote universal broadband access, has begun the process of reforming the Universal Service Fund and its various programs – including the Lifeline and LinkUp programs that target low-income families – that may impact the affordability and availability of broadband for the Latino community.   The FCC is also considering the possible dedication of D Block spectrum to emergency services and medical providers.

Census Update

As the US Census Bureau delivers its state-by-state demographic profiles, a national trend is emerging of Latinos driving population growth.  In Texas, for example, Latinos now account for 38% of the population (up from 32% in 2000) and 65% of all growth from 2000 to 2010 can be attributed to Latinos.  In addition, Latinos disproportionately fill the ranks of younger Texans.  Latinos comprise 48.3% of Texans under the age of 18, up from 40.5% in 2000.

The financial implications are clear as: “Whites who dominated Texas’s population for generations are growing older and more dependent on the earning power and taxes of younger Hispanics, now poised to take over as the state’s largest demographic group.”

For its explosive growth, the Lone Star State has reaped a valuable reward – reapportionment.  Overall, Texas grew in population by 20 percent from 2000 to 2010 and earned four congressional seats – the largest gain in the country.  Now, 25.1 million people live in Texas – 4.3 million more than in 2000.

Federal Budget Update

The doors of federal buildings and the gates of national parks remain open for now due to a compromise continuing resolution.  Congress passed a stopgap spending resolution, agreed to by Republicans and Democrats to fund the government for 2 more weeks.  What happens next remains to be seen.

At this point, it is unclear what the final budget will look like yet early proposals are disturbing for the prospect of maintaining education funding levels.  A previous House bill to continue funding the federal government through the end of the fiscal year would cut the U.S. Department of Education’s budget by more than $5 billion.  Especially troubling are the proposed cuts to programs designed to help low-income students:

• Title I, which helps fund low-income schools, would be slashed by $694 million, or 5 percent.
• With a cut of about $336 million, School Improvement Grants would receive less than half the funds available last year to help turn around our nation’s lowest performing schools.
• Pell Grants, which make college more affordable for low-income students, would fall by about $5.7 billion, or about a quarter.  That cut would impact more than 9 million students who would either see reductions in their awards or lose it entirely.