Vol.25, No. 01	Sept. 3, 1999

Student Aid Threatened: National Call-In Day Organized for Sept. 10

Congress will return after Labor Day to debate annual funding for student aid programs, such as Pell Grants and Federal Family Education Loans, as well as for research funding.

While the New York State Legislature has passed a budget, it is five months late.

Funding caps put in place in the Federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 threatens prospects for student aid and science funding this year, unless the caps on funding are lifted.

Congress is poised to cut student aid funding for FY 2000. The Student Aid Alliance has organized a National Call-In Day contact day for Sept. 10, 1999. To participate in the call-in day, call the Student Aid Alliance's toll-free number, 1-800-574-4AID or visit the Web site atwww.studentaidalliance.org.

For those bills in process, science funding is not fairing as well as in FY 1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99).

NASA funding is $665 million less than last year, Department of Energy research funding is slated to be cut by over a hundred million and National Science Foundation (NSF) will not receive the increases the President has proposed.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding is still in limbo. Many scientists are working with their professional societies to urge lawmakers to increase funding.

Recently, the Office of Management and Budget published draft policy guidance regarding implementation of the so-called Shelby amendment which requires release of data from Federally funded studies. The guidance clarifies definitions of research results and a number of other concerns. Administrators and scientists may wish to comment on this newest draft guidance. The response from Columbians during the last iteration was excellent, but many more businesses than universities wrote in favor of the original legislation for the first proposed guidance.

Student aid funding was generally kept level, although opportunity programs such as the higher education opportunity program were increased. A new program, Jobs 2000 (J2K), establishes an New York Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NUYSTAR), which will oversee a capital fund for state-of-the-art laboratory space, expand Centers for Advanced Technology, and develop an incentive fund for technology transfer.

For additional information, please contact Ellen S. Smith, assistant vice president and director of federal relations, ess9@columbia.edu or Susan Long, government relations associate, at sl758@columbia.edu.