Education in the Federal Budget
Federal education programs account for a relatively small but significant share of the total federal budget. The fiscal year 2012 federal budget totaled $3.8 trillion. Of this amount, 31 percent was discretionary funding, which is subject to the annual appropriations process whereby Congress determines funding levels each year through legislation. The remaining 69 percent of funding was mandatory spending, which is not subject to the annual appropriations process and includes entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Read more about Education in the Federal Budget...
School Finance
America spends over $500 billion a year on public elementary and secondary education in the United States. On average, school districts spend over $10,500 for each individual student, although per pupil expenditures vary greatly among states, school districts and individual schools. Spending also differs among school districts in the same state and among schools within the same district.Read more about School Finance...
Federal Education Programs
We provide background and analytical information on many federal education programs, with a particular focus on finance. This information is organized into seven sections:
- No Child Left Behind - Overview
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Overview
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- Federal Programs for K-12 Teachers
- Federal School Nutrition Programs
- Federal Impact Aid Program
- Federal Higher Education Programs - Overview
Federal Education Tax Benefits
In addition to loans and grants, the federal government offers a series of tax benefits for education. Most of these benefits are for students and their families to reduce the cost of higher education, but the federal government also offers a few benefits related to K-12 education. Read more about Federal Education Tax Benefits...