"They are an attractive alternative that parents can choose, that will help stabilize enrollment and increase enrollment in many places.
Legislation has been introduced in the House to help broaden enrollment at the 83 pharmacy schools.
To help boost enrollment, the University of Phoenix last week announced a tuition freeze for students who remain consistently enrolled.
Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary for health and human services, has been in talks with various groups to help with enrollment efforts.
Mr. Bedlin, who is also vice president of the National Council on the Aging, a research and advocacy group, said the coalition hoped to help push enrollment to 5.5 million low-income people.
The National Football League is not participating in an effort with the Obama administration to help promote enrollment in health insurance plans under the new health care law, a spokesman said.
The grants range from $20,750 for Catholic Social Services, a group in Mobile, Ala., to $5,889,181 for United Way of Tarrant County, which serves the Fort Worth region in Texas but will help with enrollment around the state.
Intended to help increase enrollment in the special courses as well as student performance, the new program, which starts on Monday, is expected to reach more than half the students taking Advanced Placement classes this fall in the 40,000-student Newark school district.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Health Benefit Exchange has hired more call center workers and certified 9,000 people to help with enrollment.
While "a great talking point," it is not valued by many families and does not help ease enrollment pressures facing public higher education, he said.
