A New Funding Bill is Allocating Millions of Dollars to Universities

The FY omnibus spending bill has allotted billions from its original budget of $1.5 trillion. The billions set aside have gene into programs such as:

Federal TRIO programs, which will get $40 million
Historically Minority serving institutes, which will get $96 million
Federal work-study, which is receiving $20 million.

The bill has even allocated specific funding for different universities, including:

$50 million allocated to Missouri State University
$76 million allocated to the University of Alabama’s School of Medicine and $50 million for faculty recruitment
$13 million allocated to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for expansion of their Medical School Campus
$10 million to Stony Brook University to build Biomedical Research Network

While a series of scandals would end federal earmarks in 2011, there has been bipartisan support for these earmarks. The sentiment has changed to the extent that there was bipartisan support to bring down an amendment by Sen. Mike Braun. The vote managed to pass with a surprising 35-64. Many of the representatives of the federal earmarks believe that their decisions will help strengthen its economy.

The funds that many universities have received with the help of this major bill have allowed them to work on expansion projects. On-site training for construction workers will be much more important, allowing builders to work on important projects.

Some universities will also be working on introducing new networks and programs, which has made IT professionals more important. Training for IT personnel working on the launch of these new programs will also be essential. Various community colleges have also received funds to bring in new students. Teachers in these community colleges might need sensitivity or diversity training when meeting and interacting with students from different parts of the country.

The bill’s far-reaching effects are already fairly visible, with training programs also becoming more desirable.