Friday, July 26, 2002

U.S. Senate Committee Approves Spending Boosts for AmeriCorps and NSF By JEFFREY BRAINARD Washington The federal agency that finances the AmeriCorps national-service program would get an unprecedented budget increase of 22 percent next year under a plan approved by the Senate ALSO SEE: Senate Bill Would Increase NSF's Spending for Technology Research Congress Increases Funds for Network-Security Scholarships by $19.3-Million Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The full panel also backed a 12-percent rise in funds for the National Science Foundation. The Senate panel would give the Corporation for National and Community Service a total of $904-million for the 2003 fiscal year, which begins October 1. That represents a healthy boost over last year's figure, but is still short of President Bush's request of $1.035-billion, which would represent an increase of 40 percent over 2002. Mr. Bush wanted to use the additional money to expand the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 50,000 to 75,000. (See an article from The Chronicle, February 15.) Participants in AmeriCorps perform community service and receive $4,725 that they can use toward college expenses. They also get a small stipend for each of up to two years of service. Corporation officials were pleased with the Senate action, especially because some Congressional Republicans have pushed to eliminate AmeriCorps in past years, citing concerns over financial management. The agency has made improvements that appear to have won over lawmakers. "This represents the largest single-year increase in appropriations in this agency's history, so it's quite a vote of confidence in what we're doing," said Leslie Lenkowsky, chief executive officer of the corporation. Within the overall appropriation for the corporation, the Senate committee also provided a slight increase for the corporation's Learn and Serve America program, which provides grants to colleges and schools for service-learning projects. It would rise to $47-million next year, up from the $43-million it has received each year since 1994. Mr. Bush had requested no increase for 2003. In addition, the Senate panel has approved $99-million for the corporation's VISTA program, which specifically takes aim at poverty. The 2002 figure is $85-million. Mr. Bush requested $94-million. The spending plan approved Thursday also includes $5.353-billion for the National Science Foundation next year, an increase of nearly 12 percent (see an article from The Chronicle, July 24), and $15.2-billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which would represent a rise of 3 percent. The House of Representatives has yet to draw up its version of a bill financing the activities of these agencies. Background articles from The Chronicle: U.S. Senate Panel Approves 12-Percent Increase for NSF (7/24/2002) National-Service Program Turns Critics Into Fans (4/26/2002) Bush Proposes Huge Increase for AmeriCorps Budget (2/15/2002) Bush Proposes a Major Expansion of AmeriCorps (2/8/2002) Colleges Criticized for Not Using Work-Study Funds for Service (1/18/2002) Bush Picks Texas Volunteer Leader to Run AmeriCorps (11/23/2001) Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

Princeton admissions official breaks into Yale admissions site U.S. Senate committee approves spending boosts for AmeriCorps and NSF 3 freshmen sue U. of North Carolina over assigned reading about Koran Florida Memorial College fires 2 workers and expels 3 students amid grade-changing inquiry Congress increases funds for network-security scholarships by $19.3-million Law student sues Web-filtering company in a challenge to Millennium Copyright Act Senate bill would increase NSF's spending for technology research