House Passes FY 2026 Spending Package, Awaits Senate Action
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
Congress is one step closer to averting a government shutdown and funding the Department of Education (ED) through the end of the 2026 fiscal year after the House passed an appropriations package on Thursday that would fund several agencies – including ED – through September 30.
On Thursday evening, the House completed its work on 12 appropriations bills with the Labor-HHS-Education package passing by a margin of 341-88..
Earlier last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled bicameral legislation that would allot $79 billion in discretionary funding to ED. The legislation would flat-fund the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), the federal TRIO, and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) programs at FY 2025 levels. The legislation also included a provision that would block funding for ED from being transferred to other agencies, unless specified in the appropriations law.
While the Senate’s legislation flat-funds the Pell Grant, FSEOG, FWS, TRIO and GEAR UP programs, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Education & Workforce Committee, said in a statement he is “relieved” the programs get to continue. Last year, President Donald Trump proposed in his FY 2026 budget request that FSEOG, TRIO, and GEAR UP programs be eliminated, and funding for the FWS program and the Pell Grant be drastically cut.
“While I would want to see more funding for critical programs, including an increase in the maximum Pell Grant and increased enforcement capacity to protect workers and their health coverage, I am relieved this did not codify Trump’s requested elimination of programs that Congress created to help students, workers, and families,” Scott said. “While far from perfect, the bill is dramatically better than the original funding request proposed by the Trump administration."
The package of appropriations bills now heads to the Senate for a final vote, with the timing of the vote unclear due to an impending storm that could disrupt travel for members of Congress. The vote could be close, with Democrats and Republicans clashing over the appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Funding for ED and other agencies is set to expire after January 30. Stay tuned to Today’s News for more updates.
Publication Date: 1/26/2026
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