In mid-January, the Council for Opportunity in Education testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the issue of continued funding for Federal Access Programs like TRIO and GEAR UP.
The panel featured testimonies from COE President Maureen Hoyler as well as 2013 National TRIO Achiever Cornelius Griggs and Hibbing Community College Upward Bound Director Tallie Sertich.
In late January, legislators came together to pass the FY 2014 omnibus appropriations bill that restored $1.6 billion in sequester cuts to the U.S. Department of Education. In particular, this provided a $42 million increase for TRIO, which will restore 95% of the funding lost to sequestration during Program Year 2014-2015.
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COE President Maureen Hoyler (left) listens intently as opening remarks are made by Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA).
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Senator Al Franken (D-MN) converses with Chairman Harkin (D-IA) before questioning the panel.
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Hibbing Community College Upward Bound Director Tallie Sertich testifies in support of TRIO and other Federal Access Programs.
2013 National TRIO Achiever Cornelius Griggs listens to fellow panelists before making his remarks.
Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) moderates the panel’s roundtable discussion.
Dr. Ron Haskins, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Center on Children and Families and Budgeting for National Priorities Project at the Brookings Institution, makes his case for continued support for college bound youth.
