Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the Department will read and score applications for the Upward Bound grant program that were deemed ineligible under technical formatting rules issued by the previous Administration. The flexibility to consider these applications was made possible by the 2017 Omnibus spending bill.

After announcing the change at today’s House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education hearing, Secretary DeVos issued the following statement:

“With the 2017 Omnibus spending bill, Congress provided us with the flexibility to review all of the applications previously deemed ineligible due to technical formatting requirements. Going forward, I have directed all Department staff to allow flexibility on formatting and other technical elements on all grant applications. Bureaucratic red tape should never get in the way of helping students."