With Budget Battles Looming in Congress, Prospects for Higher Ed Reforms Don’t Look Bright

In more normal political times, higher education advocates, experts and lobbyists might be expecting to see progress on a number of issues once Congress returns from its August recess. They’d be optimistic, for starters, about the prospects for doubling the maximum Pell Grant award for students, expanding Pell to cover short-term programs like job training classes or standardizing federal financial aid applications. Instead, all eyes will be focused on the fight over the federal budget and the question of whether Congress can keep the government open after the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Some House Republicans want steep cuts in spending and an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, and they’re vowing to force a shutdown if they don’t get them. Meanwhile, the Senate is gearing up to pass appropriations bills, along with a short-term funding measure designed to avert a shutdown.