But the entitlement benefits all Californians by encouraging the best students to stay in the state for college.

Two-thirds of the $2.4 trillion budget is in mandatory spending that includes interest payments on the national debt and financing of entitlement benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

These are the types of severe cuts the United States could avoid by making prudent decisions today to reform future entitlement benefits.

The biggest uncertainty is about the trend in discretionary government spending - programs from defense to education that lie outside mandatory entitlement benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

Entitlement reform refers to legislation to make changes in entitlement benefits paid by the government to citizens in order to improve the nation's budget.

Its most touted change is the introduction of an entitlement benefit for prescription drugs, through tax breaks and subsidies.

Because Section 8 is not considered an entitlement benefit, everyone who qualifies for a housing voucher doesn't necessarily receive one.

In July the United States will mark a milestone: spending on entitlement benefits will consume more than 50 percent of the Federal budget.

As these individuals begin to retire, they will start drawing entitlement benefits, including Social Security.

Case managers help tenants find mental health counseling, drug treatment, other medical services, vocational services and entitlement benefits.