Education & Training
Department of Education Programs & Initiatives
Quick Facts
FY 2025 Budget Request
$82.4 Billion
K-12 Education
$44+ Billion
Pell Grant Recipients
6.6 Million
College students
Max Pell Grant (2024)
$7,395
per year
How Federal Education is Funded
Federal education funding comes from general tax revenue:
- Discretionary budget: $82.4 billion requested for FY 2025 (4% increase over 2024)
- No dedicated tax: Education funding comes from general federal revenue
- Formula grants: Most K-12 funding distributed to states via formulas based on poverty, population
- Competitive grants: Schools and districts compete for innovation and improvement grants
Important: Federal funding represents only about 8% of total K-12 education spending. Most education funding comes from state and local sources (property taxes, state income taxes).
What Federal Education Funding Supports
Title I - Support for Disadvantaged Students
$18.4 billion to high-poverty K-12 schools serving over 25 million students. Provides additional academic support, tutoring, after-school programs, and resources to help close achievement gaps for low-income students.
Pell Grants - College Affordability
Need-based grants to 6.6 million low- and middle-income college students. Unlike loans, Pell Grants don't need to be repaid. Maximum award is $7,395 for 2024-25 academic year. Students can use grants at any of 5,000+ participating colleges and universities.
Special Education (IDEA)
$15.5 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs serving 7.5 million students with disabilities. Funds individualized education programs (IEPs), specialized instruction, assistive technology, and early intervention services for infants and toddlers.
Career & Technical Education
$1.4 billion for Perkins Career and Technical Education programs. Supports high school students learning job skills in fields like healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and construction. Includes partnerships with community colleges and apprenticeship programs.
Head Start - Early Childhood
$12.0 billion for comprehensive early learning programs serving nearly 1 million low-income children ages 0-5. Provides education, health, nutrition, and family support services to prepare children for kindergarten.
Student Loans & Financial Aid
Federal student loan programs (Direct Loans, PLUS loans) and work-study programs. The Department manages a portfolio of over $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loans, though loan origination and repayment flows don't appear in annual discretionary budget.
FY 2025 Budget Breakdown
High-poverty schools
Students with disabilities
College affordability for low-income students
Job skills training
Schools with federal land/military families
Historically Black and Hispanic-serving colleges
FY 2025 Key Priorities
- Closing achievement gaps: Evidence-based strategies to raise student achievement in high-poverty schools
- Mental health services: Expanding access to school-based mental health support and counselors
- Teacher recruitment: Programs to address teacher shortages, especially in high-need subjects and schools
- Free preschool: New funding to expand access to high-quality preschool for Title I-eligible children
- Community college: Investments toward tuition-free community college
- Workforce development: Career-connected dual enrollment helping students earn college credits in high school