Washington Watch: Speak up to protect the National Science Foundation’s ATE program

“The National Science Foundation (NSF) is once again under pressure from the Trump administration as it proposes severe cuts for the agency and makes other moves to reduce its independence. So far, Congress has resisted these efforts, but community colleges must speak up to ensure that it does so again for fiscal year (FY) 2027. For the second year in a row, the administration has proposed extensive cuts to NSF in its FY 27 budget. It proposes a funding decrease of 55% — from $8.8 billion to just under $4 billion — for the entire agency. Also, for the second year running, the budget proposes eliminating specific funding for STEM Education and folding some of those activities into Research and Related Activities. For this reason, most STEM Education programs are not even mentioned in the budget proposal, including NSF’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which for more than three decades has served as NSF’s leading community college initiative focused on STEM technician education and workforce preparation. Congress rejected most of these proposals by providing $8.8 billion to NSF in FY 26, a decrease of 3.4% from the prior year. STEM Education took a bigger hit, decreasing from nearly $1.2 billion to $938 million in FY 26. However, the ATE program was held steady at $75 million, its funding level for the last several years. The approps path So far this year, Congress is traveling down a similar road as last year. The House Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee has approved a bill that cuts NSF by $1.75 billion, a steep 20% cut but nowhere near the decrease proposed by the administration. However, the House bill reflects the administration’s budget by not providing funding for STEM education. The full House Appropriations Committee is set to mark up the bill on May 13. The Senate has yet to release a bill or a schedule for marking it up. However, the Senate tries its best to fashion appropriations bills that garner bipartisan support. This is not the case in the House. For that reason, final funding legislation, which will be passed late this year or perhaps early next year, is usually much closer to the Senate’s version. In FY 26, the Senate approved a CJS bill that made a small cut to NSF but maintained ATE funding at $75 million. More politicking Adding to the administration’s pressure on NSF is President Donald Trump’s firing of the entire National Science Board (NSB) on April 24. NSB was created in 1950 to advise the president and Congress on science and engineering policy, approve major funding awards and oversee NSF. Replacements to the board have yet to be named, but this move has greatly unsettled the scientific community. This development is another reason why Congress must assert its funding and oversight authority to keep NSF on track. Help to champion ATE Given all this, now is the time for community colleges to make their voice heard on Capitol Hill, particularly the Senate, in support of the ATE program. Even with the budgetary challenges described above, the American Association of Community Colleges is advocating for a $10 million increase, to $85 million, for the ATE program. The association sent a legislative alert to all members earlier this year that focused on a small number of priorities, including ATE. Our current funding priorities document does the same. The NSF ATE program has strong support in Congress and the threats to its funding are not likely to come to fruition, but our community should take nothing for granted. AACC urges its members to carry this message to their congressional representatives. It is especially important for current and past ATE grantees to remind their members of Congress about the great things that ATE has helped their institutions accomplish. AACC will provide its members with more resources soon to help them convey this message. The post Washington Watch: Speak up to protect the National Science Foundation’s ATE program first appeared on Community College Daily .

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