May 23, 2017

The President’s budget request seeks to completely eliminate NASA’s Office of Education (OE) and its portfolio of programs and projects. The request attributes the closure to challenges the agency has experienced in implementing a focused NASA-wide education strategy and current fiscal constraints. The budget includes $37.3 million for NASA Education, which is a 62.7% cut from the fiscal year (FY) 2017 enacted level, to perform closeout in a cost-effective and efficient manner and minimize negative impacts to awardees that receive annual funding from OE.

NASA's FY 2018 Budget Estimates explains that although this budget no longer supports the formal OE programs, the agency will continue to inspire the next generation through its missions. According to NASA, the budget supports all planned activities within the Science Mission Directorate’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Science Activation project, which is not affected by the proposed termination of NASA OE.

Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration