Washington — The U.S. Senate approved on Tuesday a $410-billion spending bill for the current fiscal year that includes increases for Pell Grants and the National Institutes of Health. The House of Representatives approved the bill last month. The bill, HR 1105, which now goes to President Obama for his signature, would finance most domestic programs — including student aid and research — through September.

The final legislation leaves intact more than 8,500 earmarks worth $7.7-billion, according to the nonpartisan group Taxpayers for Common Sense. Those items direct hundreds of millions of dollars to colleges and universities. The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, told The Wall Street Journal that Mr. Obama would sign the bill, but would also unveil new rules for earmarks. —Charles Huckabee