Stimulus Funding for Education in PA

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The Recovery Act: Strengthening America’s Schools for the 21st Century



Below is a fact sheet outlining the impact of President Obama’s economic policies on Pennsylvania:



Title I, Part A– Supporting Low-Income Schools:

The ARRA provides $10 billion in additional Title I, Part A funds to state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) to support schools that have high concentrations of students from families that live in poverty in order to help improve teaching and learning for students most at risk of failing to meet state academic achievement standards.



As of today, $200,301,839 in Title I funds have been awarded to Pennsylvania.



IDEA Grants, Parts B & C – Improving Special Education Programs:

The ARRA provides $12.2 billion in additional funding for Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Part B of the IDEA provides funds to state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to help them ensure that children with disabilities, including children ages 3 through 5, have access to a free appropriate public education to meet each child's unique needs and prepare him or her for further education, employment, and independent living. Part C of the IDEA provides funds to each state lead agency designated by the Governor to implement statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary interagency programs and make early intervention services available to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.



As of today, $227,969,605 in IDEA funds have been awarded to Pennsylvania.



Education Technology Grants:

The ARRA provides $650 million in additional funding for Education Technology Grants. The primary goal of the Education Technology Grants program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools. It is also designed to help ensure that every student is technologically literate by the end of eighth grade and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development.



As of today, $25,302,703 in Education Technology Grants have been awarded to Pennsylvania.





Vocational Rehabilitation Funds:



The ARRA provides $540 million in additional funding for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants program. The VR State Grants program provides grants to states to help individuals with disabilities, especially those individuals with the most significant disabilities, prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment.



As of today, $10,462,971 in Vocational Rehabilitation Funds have been awarded to Pennsylvania.



Independent Living Services Fund:

The ARRA provides $140 million in additional funding for the Independent Living (IL) programs. The IL programs support services to individuals with significant disabilities and older individuals who are blind to maximize their leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity, and to promote the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society.



As of today, $2,189,305 in Independent Living Services Funds have been awarded to Pennsylvania.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Funds:

The ARRA provides $70 million under the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program to assist States and local educational agencies (LEAs) in addressing the educational and related needs of some of the most vulnerable members of our society – homeless children and youth – during a time of economic crisis in the United States.

As of today, $1,874,497 in McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance funds have been awarded to Pennsylvania.

Pell Grant Funds:

The ARRA provides $17.1 billion in additional funds for students across the country in need of Pell Grants. The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post-baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions. The additional funding allowed the Department of Education to raise the maximum Pell award from $4,731 to $5,350.

Pell Grants are awarded based on student applications, not by state. As of today, $271,544,495 in Pell Grants have been awarded to students attending schools in Pennsylvania.

Work Study Funds:

The ARRA provides an additional $200 million to the Work-Study program, providing colleges and universities with additional funding to provide jobs to students to help with their college and living expenses.

Work Study funds are distributed to qualifying schools which select students based on financial need. As of today, $11,711,624 in Work Study funds have been awarded to students attending schools in Pennsylvania.