DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AT A GLANCE:
2006 Discretionary Budget Authority: $56.0 billion
(Decrease from 2005: 1 percent)
Major Programs:
• Title I grants to States and local school districts
• Special education
• Pell Grants
• Research and statistics
MEETING PRESIDENTIAL GOALS
Promoting Economic Opportunity and Ownership
• Creating a new high school initiative to extend No Child Left Behind (NCLB) into the upper
grades through improved accountability and effective interventions to help at-risk youth
complete high school successfully, and through testing in grades 9–11.
• Providing grants to improve education in low-income communities and support NCLB reforms.
• Supporting reforms in special education to improve services for students with disabilities.
Making Government More Effective
• Reforming the student loan programs by reducing unnecessary subsidies to lenders and other
financial intermediaries, and redirecting these funds to the Pell Grant program to help lowincome
students pay for college.
97
98 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PROMOTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND OWNERSHIP
Building a Strong Foundation: Leaving No Child Behind
At the center of the President’s commitment to education is his promise to “leave no child behind.”
When President Bush launched his No Child Left Behind initiative, he said, “The Federal role in
education is not to serve the system. It is to serve the children.” No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is
making a difference for every child, in every public school. It is no longer acceptable for any child to
slip through the cracks or fail to receive the challenging education he or she deserves. Schools are
held accountable for ensuring that all children, including those who are disadvantaged or disabled,
become proficient in reading and math. Parents receive detailed information about the performance
of their schools. Students who attend low-performing schools have the option to attend a better public
school or, if their schools do not improve, to receive tutoring funded by the school district. And all
this is guided by a commitment to support practices that rigorous research shows to be effective.
It is far too soon to know the full impact of NCLB as school districts have set ambitious goals for
ensuring that all children are proficient in reading and math by 2014. Nonetheless, there are early
signs of success. An October 2004 report by the Education Trust analyzed student achievement data
from the 24 States that had three years of comparable test scores. It found that in 23 of them, overall
achievement had improved. States are making gains in closing the achievement gap between students
from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers from more advantaged backgrounds, while
also improving achievement generally. The majority of the 24 States analyzed reported a narrowing
of the achievement gap between African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans and their white
peers in both reading and math. Compared to a year ago, the percentage of schools meeting their
student performance targets on State assessments has increased significantly in several States.
Student Achievement Results for States That Have at Least Three Years of Data
Disaggregated by Race and Ethnicity
In Reading In Mathematics
The African American-white gap narrowed in 16 States
and grew wider in three.
The African American-white gap narrowed in 17
States, grew wider in two, and remained the same in
one.
The Latino-white gap narrowed in 14 States, grew
wider in three, and remained the same in two.
The Latino-white gap narrowed in 16 States, grew
wider in three, and remained the same in one.
The Native American-white gap narrowed in 13 States,
grew wider in two, and remained the same in two.
The Native American-white gap narrowed in 14 States,
grew wider in two, and remained the same in two.
The gap between poor and non-poor students
narrowed in nine States and grew wider in one.*
The gap between poor and non-poor students
narrowed in all 10 States examined.*
* Only 10 States provided data for both poor and non-poor students.
Source: Education Trust, "Measured Progress," October 2004
The 2006 Budget continues the President’s support for the major components ofNCLB, on top of the
dramatic funding increases for key K–12 programs since 2001. While education remains principally
the responsibility of the States, the Federal Government will continue its aggressive leadership in
the education of America’s children.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 99
Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies. Title I provides funds to schools in low-income communities
and is the foundation for the NCLB accountability, school improvement, and parental choice
reforms. The Budget requests $13.3 billion for Title I, a $603 million, or 4.7-percent increase over
the 2005 level, and a 52-percent increase since 2001, to help schools implement the No Child Left
Behind Act.
Reading First and Early Reading First. The Budget includes $1.1 billion for the President’s signature
literacy programs to help students in preschool and elementary school improve their reading
skills. Reading First supports high-quality, scientifically proven reading practices in grades K–3 to
ensure that all children can read at grade level by third grade. The Budget proposes $1.0 billion,
fulfilling the President’s commitment to provide $5 billion for reading over five years. The Budget
includes $104 million for Early Reading First to develop model childhood literacy and pre-reading
programs for schools serving high-poverty communities.
State Assessments. The Budget provides $412 million to help States implement current NCLB
testing requirements. This includes $400 million for formula grants to States and $12 million for
competitive grants to help States tackle some of the most difficult testing issues including assessments
for special populations.
Beating the Odds
Students in schools in large cities often face the most difficult odds and need themost help to reach academic
excellence.
When President Bush first took office, two-thirds of inner-city fourth graders could not read at a basic level.
The most recent Council of Great City Schools’ report, "Beating the Odds IV," showed that many schools
in large cities are meeting the challenge and have made important gains in reading and math scores on
2003 State assessments. In addition, achievement gaps may be narrowing between urban areas and the
population as a whole, between African Americans and whites, and between Hispanics and whites. Findings
show that:
• 84.6 percent of all grades included in the Great City Schools report showed gains in math scores.
• 72.1 percent of all grades tested showed gains in reading scores.
• In 73.1 percent of fourth grades tested, the gap in reading scores between whites and African American
students narrowed.
• In 60.0 percent of fourth grades tested the gap in reading scores narrowed between whites and
Hispanics.
Districts in the Council of Great City Schools enroll 15 percent of the Nation’s public school students and 30
percent of the Nation’s African American, Hispanic, limited English proficient, and poor students.
Source. http://www.cgcs.org/reports/beat_the_oddsIV.html.
Teachers. Recognizing that well-trained, highly qualified teachers are critical to student learning,
the Budget provides $500 million in funding for the President’s new Teacher Incentive Fund.
This program would reward teachers and schools making great progress in closing the achievement
gap between students of different socio-economic backgrounds, recruit the most effective teachers
to teach in high-need schools, and provide support for school districts to link teacher compensation
more closely to growth in student achievement. The Budget also provides $2.9 billion for the Teacher
Quality State Grants program to support teacher training and recruitment. In addition, $40 million
is requested for the Adjunct Teacher Corps initiative to create opportunities for professionals with
100 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PROMOTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND OWNERSHIP—Continued
The new Teacher Incentive Fund will help place more high-quality
teachers in low-performing schools and reward teachers who improve
student achievement.
extensive knowledge in the core academic subjects
to teach middle and high school courses,
particularly in mathematics and science.
Choice. To support and enhance school
choice reforms, the Budget provides $50
million in new funding for the Choice Incentive
Fund to support development of innovative
school choice programs, $219 million for
Charter Schools Grants, $37 million for Credit
Enhancement for Charter School Facilities,
and $15 million through the District of
Columbia budget for scholarships to help
low-income students in Washington, D.C.,
attend higher-performing schools.
Finishing the Job: Bringing NCLB to High Schools
The vast majority of NCLB reforms affect K–8 education, as only five percent of Title I funds go to
high schools. In the 2006 Budget, the Administration is building on NCLB with an aggressive, comprehensive
high school initiative. The $1.5 billion high school initiative gives States the support they
need to upgrade the quality of secondary education and ensure that every student graduates from
high school prepared to enter college or the workforce with the skills to succeed. The need for this
initiative is great. For example, according to the latest results from the Program for International
Student Assessment, America’s 15-year-olds performed below the international average in mathematics
literacy and problem-solving, placing 28th out of 39 industrialized countries.
High School Intervention Initiative. This initiative provides $1.2 billion to help States implement
a high school accountability framework and a wide range of effective interventions. In return for a
commitment to improve academic achievement and graduation rates for secondary school students,
States will receive the flexibility to choose which intervention strategies will bemost effective in serving
the needs of their at-risk high school students. Allowable activities would include vocational education
programs, mentoring programs, and partnerships between high schools and colleges, among
other approaches. A portion of the funding will be used for randomized trials and evaluations to identify
the most effective intervention strategies to enable school administrators to make better choices
on what educational strategies to adopt.
To provide funding for States under the High School Intervention Initiative, the Administration
proposes to consolidate narrow-purpose programs that support a particular high school intervention
strategy. These include Vocational Education, Upward Bound, Talent Search, GEAR UP, and
Smaller Learning Communities. Most of these programs have not proven effective in improving our
secondary students’ academic achievement or ability to obtain a job. Under the Administration’s
Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART), Vocational Education was rated Ineffective because it has
produced little or no evidence of improved outcomes for students despite decades of increasing Federal
investment.
The PART found that Upward Bound was not serving the high-risk students who were most likely
to benefit from the program. Under the new High School Intervention Initiative, States will have the
option of continuing activities funded under these programs if they will help States improve student
outcomes.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 101
Three out of ten students who enter 9th grade won’t complete high
school. For African American and Hispanic students, it’s nearly five
out of ten. Without a diploma, students are likely to face a lifetime of
low-skill, low-paying jobs. The President’s High School Initiative will
help all students complete high school successfully.
High School Assessments. Building on the
accountability framework of NCLB, the high
school initiative would require testing in
grades 9–11 in language arts and math. States
and school districts would have the flexibility
to align the testing system with their existing
instructional program, but be held accountable
for improving student achievement. The
Budget provides $250 million to help States
implement this aspect of the new initiative.
Other aspects of the President’s high school
program include:
Striving Readers. This Presidential initiative,
first funded in 2005, complements
the Administration’s reading initiatives in
elementary school. The Budget provides $200 million, an increase of $175 million—or eight times
the 2005 level—to develop and implement research-based interventions that will improve the
reading skills of high school students who read below grade level.
Math-Science Partnerships. The Budget continues the President’s efforts to improve math and
science education, providing $269 million for this Department of Education program, a $90 million
increase over the 2005 level. Of this amount, $120 million would support direct Federal competitive
grants to partnerships between secondary schools and colleges to increase achievement in math for
struggling secondary students.
State Scholars. Studies show that high school students who take rigorous courses are more likely
to succeed in college. The President proposes $12 million to help States establish State Scholars
programs that encourage students to complete a rigorous curriculum that includes at least three
years of math and science, three and one-half years of social studies, four years of English, and two
years of foreign language courses. In addition, the Budget provides $33 million to give low-income
high school students up to $1,000 in additional Pell Grant aid for the first two years of college if they
complete the State Scholars curriculum.
Strengthening Performance and Accountability: Reforming Special Education
On December 3, 2004, the President signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004, reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The
reauthorized IDEA makes several adjustments to align special education to NCLB’s accountability
systems. Together, these landmark laws provide the framework for high hopes and expectations that
all students, including the 6.9 million children with disabilities, can succeed in school. This law is
fully consistent with the Administration’s principles for IDEA reauthorization, and with the 2002
recommendations of the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
Over the next year, the Administration will provide guidance and technical assistance to States,
schools, and parents so that they can be partners with the Department in implementing the myriad
regulatory and paperwork changes required by the law, many of which will take effect in July 2005
(see box for the most significant provisions). The President’s 2006 Budget complements the law and
provides $12.2 billion for all IDEA programs, including $83 million for special education research,
studies, and evaluations funded under the Institute for Education Sciences, and $11.1 billion for
IDEA Grants to States, a 75-percent increase since 2001. These increases, along with the law’s local
102 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PROMOTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND OWNERSHIP—Continued
flexibility provisions, will improve the State and local special education systems, and produce real
benefits for students served by IDEA.
Special Education Reforms Achieved through the 2004 Reauthorization of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Accountability for Results. Aligns provisions on assessments and the contents of the individualized education
programs (IEPs) with NCLB.
Quality Teachers. Strengthens requirements for special education teachers to be highly qualified in their core
subjects, with some flexibility for States, school districts, and new teachers of multiple subjects.
Paperwork Reduction Pilots. Includes option of multiyear IEPs for 15 States and gives the Secretary authority
to waive paperwork requirements for up to 15 States for up to four years to reduce paperwork burden for
teachers and to increase their time for instruction.
Parental Choice. Lets parents choose early intervention services for their pre-school children.
Research-Based Practices. Places new emphasis on using evidence-based information for all aspects of special
education, creates the new Center for Special Education Research and places it in the Institute of Education
Sciences, which coordinates all education research and will help inform special and regular education practices.
Local Flexibility on Use of Funds. 1) Allows States to establish funds that help school districts pay for high-cost
services received by a small number of children with severe disabilities. 2) Allows local educational agencies
to use 15 percent of IDEA Grants to States to provide “early intervening services” to K–12 students who
have not been identified as children with disabilities. 3) Allows States to use IDEA Grants to States to provide
supplemental education services to children with disabilities in schools that are in need of improvement,
consistent with NCLB.
The 2006 Budget also continues the Administration’s focus on results for children with disabilities.
For example, based on the 2004 PART findings that IDEA’s early childhood programs do not have
annual or long-term performance measures to judge program effectiveness, the Department of Education
will continue to work with States to identify measures and to pilot-test State data systems.
Future Reforms in Elementary and Secondary Education
The President’s commitment to “leave no child behind” is matched by his commitment to achieve
results. If Federal programs are not working or if they do not give State and local administrators
the flexibility they need to achieve results, they should be reformed. In the coming months, the Administration
will work with the Congress to achieve a number of program consolidations to create
streamlined, flexible, performance-based grants in the areas of improving reading and math instruction,
safe schools, teacher training, education innovation, and school choice. This will allow States
and schools to better tailor Federal dollars to best meet the needs of students.
Creating Opportunity: Higher Education
The Administration is committed to providing equal access to higher education and life-long
learning through such important programs as expanded loan options and increased grant awards.
College costs are rising significantly. As a result, student aid is increasingly important to ensure
that students have an opportunity to go to college.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 103
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
3
4
5
6
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Millions of recipients Billions of dollars
Source: Department of Education.
Increases 2001 in Pell Grant Recipients Since
Federal Costs
Recipients
Increasing Pell Awards. This year, the
Administration will be working with the
Congress to enhance opportunity for students
by expanding the Pell Grant program. Pell
Grants are the single largest source of grant
aid for postsecondary education, and help
nearly one-third of all undergraduates afford
the cost of college education. To help students
keep up with the rising cost of college, the
Budget proposes to increase the $4,050
maximum award by $100 in 2006, and $500
over five years, lifting the maximum award to
$4,550. The Budget also retires the $4.3 billion
Pell Grant shortfall, which has been a major
obstacle preventing increased awards for the
more than five million Pell-eligible students. In addition, the Budget proposes to make larger Pell
awards available both to students who accelerate their studies by attending school year-round and
to many active duty military personnel. The Budget’s Pell Grant proposal is part of a larger package
of reforms intended to modernize and improve the Federal student aid system.
Reforming Student Loans. The Administration is strongly committed to the lender-based guaranteed
Federal Family Education Loan program and expects it to continue as the primary source of
loans to students in the years ahead. In addition, the Administration will continue to maintain a
strong Direct Loan program to ensure that no eligible student is denied access to student loans in
the event a student or school cannot find a suitable lender.
However, problems in the structures of the current student loan programs prevent them frommeeting
all their policy and program objectives. Specifically, the Federal Government assumes almost
all of the risk for the loans, while Federal subsidies to intermediaries—lenders and guaranty agencies—
are set high enough to allow the less efficient ones to generate a profit. These problems lead to
unnecessary costs for taxpayers and prevent the program from achieving the efficiencies the market
is designed to provide.
The Budget proposes a comprehensive package of reforms tomake the student loan programs more
efficient, cost-effective vehicles for helping students finance their postsecondary educations. These
reforms will link subsidy payments for lenders and guaranty agencies more closely to their costs
and modify interest rates for borrowers who are no longer in school and who have consolidated their
loans. The Budget achieves $34 billion in savings over 10 years by reducing unnecessary subsidies
and payments to lenders, guaranty agencies, and loan consolidators and by placing a larger share of
the loan risks on lenders. These savings will be used to increase the Pell Grant maximum award,
pay off the current $4.3 billion Pell shortfall, and improve benefits to students in school by increasing
loan limits for first year students and extending the current favorable interest rate framework. This
package will also include budget scoring rules to ensure that the Pell Grants program is fully funded
and shortfalls will not be created in future years. In addition, $10 billion in savings over ten years
will be set aside to reduce the Federal budget deficit.
104 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PROMOTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND OWNERSHIP—Continued
According to 2003 Census data, the median annual income of
Americans aged 25 or older with a bachelor’s degree is 61 percent
higher than those who pursued no further education beyond a high
school diploma. The President’s proposals to increase Pell Grants and
raise student loan limits will help remove financial barriers that prevent
many Americans from completing a postsecondary education.
Improving Access to Community Colleges.
The Budget provides $125 million to establish
a new Community College Access Grants
Fund designed to boost college enrollment and
completion, in particular among low-income
students. The initiative offers incentives to
community colleges to provide dual-enrollment
programs, which ease the transition to college
by allowing high school students to earn
college credit, and encourages States to create
policies to make it easier for students to
transfer credits earned at community colleges
to four-year institutions.
New Loans for Short-term Training. The
President has proposed a new loan program to
help students, the unemployed, transitioning
workers, and older workers acquire or upgrade
specific job-related skills through short-term
training programs. The program will be
market-oriented and use an industry-driven approach with risk-sharing by lending institutions to
ensure that the loans are targeted at real jobs projected both now and for the future.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 105
MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFECTIVE
Improving Program Performance
The Department of Education used the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to analyze the
performance of 23 of its programs in the 2006 Budget; the Department has assessed 56 programs
since 2004. The PART reviewed each program’s purpose and design, management, and achievements;
determined its level of effectiveness; and led to recommendations for program improvements.
Of the programs that have been analyzed using the PART, two are Effective, 14 are Adequate, 15
are Ineffective, and 35 do not have sufficient data to determine a rating. PART analyses contributed
to the development of the High School Intervention Initiative; helped determine which programs
should be funded, reduced, or terminated; and identified inefficiencies in the student loan programs
that will be addressed by the proposed legislative reforms described above.
Program Terminations and Reductions
At a time of constrained Federal discretionary spending, achieving the goals of academic excellence
and expanded access to higher education requires that every education dollar be spent wisely. Funding
for programs that do not perform well, duplicate other programs at the Federal or State level, or
have completed their mission must be re-directed toward programs that have either been proven to
work or those that hold the promise of reaching the Department’s goals more effectively. The 2006
Budget proposes the termination of 48 programs, including many that the PART has shown to be
ineffective (Even Start, Safe and Drug-Free Schools State Grants, and Vocational Education) and
many that are unable to demonstrate results. In addition, funding for 16 programs will be reduced.
As a result, $4.7 billion will be redirected toward such programs as Title I, IDEA, the High School
Intervention Initiative, and improving teacher quality.
Update on the President’s Management Agenda
The table that follows provides an update on the Department of Education’s implementation of the
President’s Management Agenda as of December 31, 2004.
106 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFECTIVE—Continued
Human Capital
Competitive
Sourcing
Financial
Performance E-Government
Budget and
Performance
Integration
Status
Progress
The Department of Education’s management improvement efforts achieved significant results in the past year.
Not only has the Department achieved critical financial operational goals such as receiving an unqualified
opinion for the third year in a row and meeting early reporting deadlines, but the Department has also begun
implementing enhanced reporting capabilities to improve risk management, compliance with laws and
regulations, and overall organizational governance. Education also completed key competitions with anticipated
savings of $53 million over the next five years that will improve performance in payment processing and human
resources management. In addition, the Department is participating in critical E-Government initiatives that will
simplify and expand the public’s access to Education programs through Grants.gov and e-loans. Finally, the
Department continues to collect performance information and measure outcomes to focus budget, program,
grant making, and policy initiatives on improving the effectiveness of Education programs.
Initiative Status Progress
Faith-Based and Community Initiative
Eliminating Improper Payments
Elimination of Fraud and Error in Student Aid Programs and Deficiencies
in Financial Management
The Department has eliminated barriers to faith- and community-based organization (FBCO) participation in
relevant education programs and is implementing extensive outreach and technical assistance efforts. As a
result, FBCO applications for specific Federal education programs have increased by 87 percent since 2002.
To eliminate improper payments, the Department has developed a risk model that identifies risk-susceptible
grant programs. Initial assessments in 2004 indicate that relative risk is low in those programs. The Department
will assess risk in other programs in 2005 with an emphasis on student aid programs. (Because this is the
first quarter that agency efforts were rated in the Eliminating Improper Payments Initiative, progress scores
were not given.)
The Department has demonstrated improvements monitoring key areas as needed to improve performance
and reduce fraud and error in Student Aid Programs. For example, student loan default rates have dropped
and collections on defaulted loans have increased. In addition, the Department is beginning a new project to
integrate its front-end business lines to streamline the process of applying for and awarding student loans.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 107
Department of Education
(In millions of dollars)
Estimate 2004
Actual 2005 2006
Spending
Discretionary Budget Authority:
Elementary and Secondary Education:
Title I Grants to LEAs 1 ................................................................................. 12,342 12,740 13,342
Reading First and Early Reading First ..................................................... 1,118 1,146 1,146
State Assessments.......................................................................................... 390 412 412
Teacher Incentive Fund..................................................................................
Adjunct Teacher Corps................................................................................... — — 40
Teacher Quality State Grants ...................................................................... 2,930 2,917 2,917
Charter Schools programs............................................................................ 256 254 256
Choice Incentive Fund ................................................................................... 50
Impact Aid........................................................................................................... 1,230 1,244 1,241
Safe and Drug Free Schools Programs 2 .............................................. 674 672 317
21st Century Community Learning Centers........................................... 999 991 991
English Language Acquisition ..................................................................... 681 676 676
IDEA Part B State Grants 3 ......................................................................... 10,068 10,590 11,098
High School Programs:
High School Intervention ............................................................................... — — 1,240
High School Assessments............................................................................ — — 250
Striving Readers............................................................................................... — 25 200
Mathematics and Science Partnerships .................................................. 149 179 269
Advanced Placement...................................................................................... 24 30 52
Vocational Education ...................................................................................... 1,195 1,194 —
TRIO Upward Bound ...................................................................................... 280 280 —
TRIO Talent Search......................................................................................... 145 145 —
GEAR UP............................................................................................................ 298 306 —
State Scholars Capacity Building............................................................... — — 12
Higher Education:
Community College Access Grants .......................................................... — — 125
Pell Grants—Discretionary Funding (legislative proposal) ............... 12,007 12,365 13,232
Pell Grants—Mandatory Funding (non-add, legislative proposal) — — 4,721
Enhanced Pell Grants for State Scholars (non-add) .......................... — — 33
Historically Black Colleges and Graduate Institutions........................ 276 297 299
Research and Statistics 4 ................................................................................. 335 338 338
All other .................................................................................................................... 10,265 9,776 7,046
Total, Discretionary budget authority 5 ............................................................. 55,662 56,577 56,049
Total, Discretionary outlays ................................................................................... 52,542 56,901 56,894
— — 500
108 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Department of Education—Continued
(In millions of dollars)
Estimate 2004
Actual 2005 2006
Mandatory Outlays:
Federal Direct Student Loans (legislative proposal) ................................ 3,246 1,335 39
Federal Family Education Loans (legislative proposal) .......................... 4,800 10,193 5,346
All other .................................................................................................................... 2,228 2,524 1,993
Total, Mandatory outlays ........................................................................................ 10,274 14,052 7,378
Total, Outlays.............................................................................................................. 62,816 70,953 64,272
Credit activity
Direct Loan Disbursements:
Federal Direct Student Loans (FDSL)........................................................... 12,506 13,598 14,681
FDSL Consolidations .......................................................................................... 7,649 9,064 7,615
Loans for Short-Term Training ......................................................................... — — 85
Subtotal, FDSL disbursements:
Other Direct Loans............................................................................................... 54 31 46
Total, Direct loan disbursements ......................................................................... 20,209 22,693 22,427
Guaranteed Loan Commitments:
Family Federal Education Loans (FFEL) ..................................................... 37,712 41,934 45,362
FFEL Consolidation ............................................................................................. 36,119 34,785 25,319
Loans for Short-Term Training ......................................................................... — — 198
Total, Guaranteed loan commitments................................................................ 73,831 76,719 70,879
1 Program level. Budget authority is $600 million less than program level in 2004 and $195 million less in 2006.
2 Program level. Budget authority is $330 million more than program level in 2004 and 2005.
3 Program level. Budget authority is $259 million more than program level in 2004 and $791 million less in 2006.
4 Includes special education research and studies funding.
5 Program level. Budget authority is $11 million less than program level in 2004.
