Alert

In her commentary "Blunt, colleagues should support STEM education" (May 30), Karen King urged Congress to help expand and improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. As a former high school teacher and university president, I agree on the need to better prepare students for careers in these fast-growing fields.

As chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Education, I held a hearing in March on the importance of STEM education. Witnesses at the hearing highlighted the need to restore eligibility for year-round Pell Grants.

Under previous law, most students would exhaust their Pell Grants after two semesters, requiring them to take on more debt if they wanted to stay enrolled throughout the year. Last year, I was at Harris-Stowe State University, where one student who was working hard to graduate early said she had to take out a $3,000 loan for summer classes.

Restoring year-round Pell will allow an estimated 20,000 Missouri students to receive an additional grant during the year, helping them stay on track for graduation, enter or re-enter the workforce sooner, and graduate with less debt. It’s been one of my top priorities, and I’m proud to announce it was signed into law as part of the 2017 government funding bill.

The bill also provided $400 million for the new Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program, which is aimed at providing students with a well-rounded education, including STEM education, and enhancing the use of technology to improve instruction.

In the coming weeks, congressional committees will hear from cabinet secretaries and others as we determine funding priorities for 2018. I have serious concerns with some of the cuts included in the president’s budget. Ultimately, it’s the job of Congress to fund the government, and to ensure that we focus resources on programs that have the most value for the most families.

Sen. Roy Blunt • R-Mo.

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