Education: Largest Investment in Education in 30 Years

Making 13th & 14th Grades as Universal As High School -- making the first two years of college universally available for seven million students with the $1,500 HOPE Scholarship credits.

Increasing College Opportunity with Tuition Tax Credits and Education IRAs -- 20 percent tax credit will help more than seven million students offset tuition costs for college or lifetime learning. The expanded IRA allows penalty and tax-free withdrawals for education.

Expanding Work Study and Pell Grants -- this year, nearly one million students will be able to work their way through college because of the President's expansion of the Work Study Program. And in 2000, nearly four million students will receive a Pell Grant of up to $3,300, the largest maximum award ever.

Making College More Affordable -- cut student fees and interest rates on all loans, expanded repayment options including income contingent repayment, and improved service through the Direct Loan Program.

Helping to Create Smaller Classes with Well-Prepared Teachers -- won a down payment on the President's new initiative to hire an additional 100,000 well-prepared teachers, helping school districts reduce class size in the early grades, when children learn to read and master the basic skills. Last year $1.2 billion was provided to help states hire approximately 30,000 new teachers for fall 1999. The FY 2000 budget includes $1.3 billion to continue funding those teachers, and to allow schools to continue on track to hiring 100,000 new teachers over the next six years.

Teaching Every Child to Read by the 3rd Grade -- more than 1000 colleges have committed Work Study students to tutor children in reading, and thousands of AmeriCorps members and senior volunteers are organizing volunteer reading campaigns. Won $260 million for a new child literacy initiative, consistent with the President's America Reads proposal.

Increasing Title I Funding, Helping Students Most in Need - 11 million low-income students now benefit from higher expectations and a challenging curriculum geared to higher standards.

Providing Safe After-School Opportunities for 675,000 Each Year -- doubled funding for after-school programs, providing $453 million to support 675,000 students -- 375,000 more than 1999. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program keeps public schools open longer and provides safe and educational after-school opportunities for 400,000 school-age children in rural and urban communities each year.

Raising Academic Standards with Goals 2000 -- 47 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have set higher academic standards for public schools by adopting comprehensive Goals 2000 plans for education reform.

Preparing for the 21st Century by Expanding Access to Education Technology -- created the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund to help connect every school to the Internet by 2000, increase the number of multimedia computers in the classroom and provide technology training for teachers. Increased overall investments in educational technology from $23 million in 1993 to $769 million in FY00. Secured low-cost connections to the Internet for schools, libraries, rural health clinics and hospitals. Increased investment in education research to ensure all children benefit from educational technology.

Supporting Local Education Reform Efforts -- signed into law the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex) to give all states greater flexibility in the use of federal education funds in exchange for greater accountability for helping all students reach high academic standards.

Establishing the GEAR-UP Mentoring Program for Middle School Children -- created a new mentoring initiative to help nearly 500,000 low income middle school children prepare for college.

Expanding Choice and Accountability in Public Schools -- supported increase of public charter schools, from one public charter school in the nation in 1993 to more than 1,200 charter schools in 1998. With at least 1,700 charter schools expected to operate this year, the nation is more than halfway to the President's goal of establishing 3,000 quality charter schools by 2002.

Providing Early Education to Nearly 900,000 Children with Head Start -- now reaching more kids than at any time since its creation in 1965 and in FY00 will serve be funded at $5.3 billion, 90 percent above the 1993 level.

Last Updated December 1999

The Clinton-Gore Economic Record

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