Neguse Amendment to Increase NASA Space Grant Funding by $1 Million Passes the House
The Space Grant Program promotes aerospace and other NASA-related STEM education activities
Washington D.C.— Today, Congressman Joe Neguse passed an amendment out of the U.S. House of Representatives to increase funding for the NASA Space Grant Program by $1 million. The amendment passed along with the H.R. 7617, the Appropriations Minibus. In March, Neguse lead a letter to appropriators—signed by the full bipartisan Colorado delegation—calling for $52 million in funding for FY2021 to support the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The final funding for FY2021 comes in $3 million higher than FY2020 funding, due to Congressman Neguse’s advocacy.
“The NASA Space Grant program is an effective catalyst to provide students with an opportunity to learn more about STEM industry jobs and to help preserve a pipeline of talented students ready to take on our most important and innovative high-tech jobs. As a federal-state partnership, the program not only addresses national needs but has proven to be very effective at fulfilling state and regional STEM goals,” said Congressman Neguse. “I am thrilled that increased funding for the program has earned the support of the entire Colorado delegation and I am proud to pass an amendment today to provide a $3 million increase in funding for the program.”
“On behalf of the National Space Grant Alliance, we greatly appreciate Rep. Neguse’s leadership in offering the amendment on the House floor to increase the Space Grant budget by $1 million,” said John B. Kosmatka Ph.D. P.E, Chair of the National Space Grant Alliance. “Chairman Serrano and the House Appropriations’ committee generously supported Space Grant in FY21 with a mark of $50 million. Both of these increases will help the National Space Grant program to expand cutting edge educational programming and research opportunities to reach nearly one thousand more U.S. students in STEM. We are grateful for the continued support from Congress and for Rep. Neguse’s enthusiastic embrace of Space Grant.”
The Space Grant program has nearly 1,000 partner institutions, with a presence in every state. Colorado’s Second Congressional District includes 3 of the 21 state-wide Space Grant colleges, universities and institutions: CU-Boulder, Colorado State University, and Front Range Community College. NASA program data shows that, of all participating students graduating in a particular year, over 80 percent move on to either a STEM job in industry, NASA, academia, or they enroll in a STEM graduate program.