Obama is working hard to insure that today’s youth get the best education possible. With a new streamlined budget, the President is proposing programs and program changes that could have a very positive impact on children from the age of 4 to college aged students. If you’re a parent, or college student, you may wonder how this proposed budget will help.
Where Will the Money Be Spent?
One of the biggest areas that will change is the 4.6% increase of discretionary spending. Other key areas that are being explored are money spent educating poor students (14.5 billion) and disabled students (11.6 million). These are just the key spending areas. There are many more areas that the President hopes to either introduce or increase spending to.
How Will the Expenses Help Different Age Groups?
Part of the proposed budget will focus on providing preschool education to 4 year old children from low to moderate income families. There are also plans to streamline key education areas for high school students. Colleges that offer lower prices will also see benefits in the form of financial grants. An amazing $1 billion is being set aside for the Race to the Top program, which is aimed at making a college education more affordable.
What Big Changes Can High School Students Expect?
What’s really fascinating is the amount of care the President is putting towards helping high school students. Not only will key education areas, such as math and science, be focused on, but $300 million has been proposed to help high school students develop skills needed for careers and education. This will be done by rewarding high schools that partner with local employers and colleges to redesign secondary education. An example of this program is the P-TECH program that allows high school students to earn a high school diploma while also earning an associate’s degree.
Education is essential for today’s youth. With fewer and fewer manufacturing jobs available in America, today’s youth need an education to find employment. The proposed budget that President Obama has put forward will make a big difference in the lives of those that once thought a good education was impossible due to living in a low income area. More importantly, a number of these programs work to reach high school students that are ready to make a difference in their lives. Students that want to get a head start on college can do so. This allows students to make the most of their lives and leave high school with an education that can lead to a good paying job from the beginning.
This is a guest post from Andrew Whitfield. Andrew is currently working through a New York gmat prep course and is concerned by the rising cost of education. He hopes future budgets are even friendlier towards students.