While education programs are funded almost entirely through the appropriations process (discretionary spending), a few, such as federal student aid, are funded through mandatory spending. The president’s commitment to educating our way to a stronger economy is evident in the proposed funding for K-12 programs. The president’s 2012 budget request for the Department of Education is $77.4 billion, marking a 38.5 percent increase from 2011. The 2012 request calls for significant increases in K-12 education but it also makes difficult choices to help place the Pell Grant program on a sustainable fiscal path.
