"The
Pell Grant Program is what makes it possible for millions of disadvantaged students in our country to realize their dream of obtaining a college education," says House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-Ohio).
The Bush administration now says Congress did not appropriate enough money for
Pell Grants, and the shortfall should come from funds earmarked for Operation Breakthrough and many other health and education programs."
Overall,
Pell grant increases were offset by institutional grant declines nine times, and institutional grant increases made up for
Pell grant declines fourteen times.
"Just because most
Pell Grant recipients are low-income does not mean they would not succeed in college," the paper states, refuting what it cites as a common refrain among selective institutions.
Among the benefits of the program would be a significant savings for
Pell Grant recipients, who by definition are low-income.
Vanessa Dowdy, Southwest Tennessee's recruitment director, says students who begin using
Pell Grants in high school could run the risk of using up their six-year eligibility before they get their college diplomas.
During the most recent one-year period for which we have statistics, the number of
Pell grant recipients at community colleges grew by 36.8 percent.
The
Pell Grant and FSEOG are two key federal student financial aid programs that have proved to be remarkably successful in ensuring that academically talented students from low- and moderate-income families pursue and obtain a higher education.
(
pell grant: a federal grant that provides funds to undergraduate students based on financial need.)
$9,000,000 $9,000,000 0 Information Tech Prep $106,000,000 $106,000,000 0 Tech Prep 0 $5,000,000 +5,000,000 Demonstration PERKINS TOTAL $1,192,750,000 $1,243,100,000 +$50,350,000
PELL GRANT MAXIMUM $3,300 $3,750 +$450
For more than two decades they had been funded by the
Pell grant program, which helps finance higher education for low-income Americans.