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Bush proposes Pell Grant raise
The new budget would increase the maximum Pell Grant, but would cut other programs' resources
by Allie Grasgreen | News Reporter
In order to answer the increasing demand for better higher education support, President Bush proposed last week to increase the Pell Grant maximum to $4,600 per student in the 2007 federal education budget with increased availability.
Nevertheless, there are whispers of skepticism concerning the source of this funding.
The average U.S. college student owes $15,500 after graduating from a four-year public college or university, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At the same time, state funding growth for higher education has fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades, according to the Department of Education. Additionally, the average public university's tuition and fees rose 51 percent from 1995 to 2005.
Pell Grants, which are similar to scholarships because they require no repayment and are generally awarded to undergraduate students based on financial need, help to alleviate some of that debt. Eligibility is determined by the student's FAFSA information.
Elizabeth Bickford, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, stressed the value of the Pell Grant and its importance to so many needy students.
"I'm sure that our 3,800-plus Pell Grant recipients on campus would agree," said Bickford, "that the Pell Grant is sort of a foundation in terms of the need-based grant assistance that students receive across the nation."
In order to pay for the Pell Grant increase, Bush would cut the entire Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program, an $880 million award pool that provides need-based aid of up to $4,000 to low-income students. Bush's plan would also result in cutting lender subsidies by $18.8 billion.
Students receiving money from the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program, the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program and the widely known Perkins Loan Program will also be hit by Bush's proposal. All three will be eliminated, resulting in more than $100 million in cuts.
Nevertheless, there are whispers of skepticism concerning the source of this funding.
The average U.S. college student owes $15,500 after graduating from a four-year public college or university, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At the same time, state funding growth for higher education has fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades, according to the Department of Education. Additionally, the average public university's tuition and fees rose 51 percent from 1995 to 2005.
Pell Grants, which are similar to scholarships because they require no repayment and are generally awarded to undergraduate students based on financial need, help to alleviate some of that debt. Eligibility is determined by the student's FAFSA information.
Elizabeth Bickford, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, stressed the value of the Pell Grant and its importance to so many needy students.
"I'm sure that our 3,800-plus Pell Grant recipients on campus would agree," said Bickford, "that the Pell Grant is sort of a foundation in terms of the need-based grant assistance that students receive across the nation."
In order to pay for the Pell Grant increase, Bush would cut the entire Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program, an $880 million award pool that provides need-based aid of up to $4,000 to low-income students. Bush's plan would also result in cutting lender subsidies by $18.8 billion.
Students receiving money from the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program, the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program and the widely known Perkins Loan Program will also be hit by Bush's proposal. All three will be eliminated, resulting in more than $100 million in cuts.
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