MEOA

2011 MEOA Conference Registration is now available http://www.meoaonline.org/events/conference-2011/

President Obama proposed a $67 million increase in funding for FY 2012 to provide adequate funding for next fall’s Upward Bound and McNair competitions and to prevent an absolute loss of students and programs (a 7.8% increase over the current funding level). In his proposed budget, President Obama requests level-funding for GEAR UP and also provides additional money for the Pell Grant program to allow the maximum grant to remain at $5,550.  Read more on COE’s Government relation page 2/14/11 post here. Read the DOE FY 2012 Budget Year Summary here on ed.gov

House Republicans introduced a bill that not only cuts TRIO funding for the remainder of FY 2011 by 2.9% (for a loss of $24.9 million), but provides inadequate funding for programs important to the education of low-income and first-generation students and threatens our national security. If this bill is passed, 60,000 students could be kicked out of the Talent Search and EOC programs this year (programs funded by the FY 2011 bill) due to lack of funding and Congressional support. GEAR UP received a 6.1% cut in funding for FY 2011 for a loss of $19.8 million.   Read More (under 2/11/11) on the COE government relations page.

On February 11, 2010 MEOA was awarded a Council for Opportunity in Education State Initiative Grant to fund a MEOA  Alumni Development Project.  COE is providing MEOA with $1000 in a 1:1 match with MEOA to increase and improve our alumni outreach and networking efforts.