Bill Overview
Title: RECOVER Act
Description: This bill directs local educational agencies to use certain federal COVID-19 relief funds to address student learning loss by distributing direct financial assistance (i.e., Child Opportunity Scholarships) to the parent or guardian of an eligible student for certain qualified educational expenses (e.g., educational materials, tutoring, or private school tuition). Eligible student refers to a child who is a member of a household with an income that is not more than 300% of the federal poverty level.
Sponsors: Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
Target Audience
Population: Children from low-income households seeking educational assistance.
Estimated Size: 24820000
- The RECOVER Act targets children in households with incomes not exceeding 300% of the federal poverty level.
- Globally, there are significant numbers of households meeting this criterion, particularly in developing and underprivileged regions.
- Children in economic environments with limited educational resources are globally present in billions.
- The act specifically targets educational enhancement, meaning children in school age will be most affected.
- The act affects children across different educational settings including public, private, and homeschooling situations.
Reasoning
- The RECOVER Act primarily targets children in lower-income households, so the impact will be significant for families with students who may not have had access to enhanced educational resources previously.
- Families with incomes slightly higher than the eligibility threshold will not benefit, which may limit the overall reach of the program.
- Given the estimated $24,800,000,000 USD budget in year 1, and the number of eligible children (24.8 million), each child could potentially receive approximately $1,000 in scholarships or financial support for educational resources.
- The act's impact may vary depending on existing access to resources, geographic location, and current socioeconomic conditions.
- We should expect varying degrees of change in self-reported well-being based on the differing contingencies faced by the families and their current proximity to the poverty threshold.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Texas)
Age: 9 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The scholarship would help access after-school programs and tutoring.
- My parents always worry about money for school supplies and extra help if I need it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Student (California)
Age: 12 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The scholarship can help us afford private tutoring that we couldn't before.
- Mom is stressed about finances, but this could help a lot.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Student (New York)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having this scholarship would help me get a tutor to improve my grades.
- Looking forward to fewer academic struggles.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Student (Florida)
Age: 14 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Won't qualify as we're slightly above the income limit but any help would have been welcomed.
- Hopes for expansion of the program or similar opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Student (Illinois)
Age: 10 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Possible funding would ease the process of buying educational materials and accessing additional language support.
- Actually able to get school books compared to before.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Student (Ohio)
Age: 11 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The scholarship would enable getting better internet and thus access online tools and tutors.
- Help to move past struggles of remote schooling.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Student (Michigan)
Age: 13 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Unfortunately, I don't think we'll qualify given our just at the edge situation.
- It seems we don't quite benefit, but hope this helps others who qualify.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Student (Georgia)
Age: 7 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 2
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This kind of support means a lot because we cannot afford any extra educational materials or sessions.
- It helps bridge the abrupt weaknesses from pandemic school closure.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Student (New Jersey)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This would have made it possible to afford better prep material.
- We might still miss out, hopeful for better options being available.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Student (Virginia)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This would cover tutoring expenses that my family cannot manage now.
- Hopeful for better academic performance with this help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $24800000000 (Low: $22320000000, High: $27280000000)
Year 2: $24800000000 (Low: $22320000000, High: $27280000000)
Year 3: $24800000000 (Low: $22320000000, High: $27280000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The use of existing COVID-19 relief funds minimizes new budgetary allocations.
- Actual impact depends on parental uptake and amount of direct financial assistance covered by scholarships.
- The policy leans heavily on existing federal appropriations, making state and local execution crucial.