House nears OK on dramatic expansion of college student aid
David Lightman, MCT
Issue date: 9/16/09 Section: News
At the same time, though, the measure would expand the cost of the Pell Grant program, which helps lower-income students. Currently, the maximum annual award is $5,350. Under the bill, that would grow to $6,900 by 2019. The CBO estimated in July that the changes would cost the government at least $39.4 billion over that period.
Members of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators are divided on the bill's merits. Justin Draeger, the organization's vice president of public policy, likes the Pell Grant provisions.
"Any investment we can make in Pell Grants is money well spent. There's been irrefutable evidence that providing low-income families with these dollars year after year increases access to education," he said.
Most activists and lawmakers agree on at least one point: The application process needs to be streamlined. The bill promises to "dramatically cut down the number of questions on the form," partly by allowing students and families to apply for aid using data from their tax returns.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hasn't yet considered the legislation but is expected to do so soon. The committee is considered sympathetic to changing the loan program, but its new chairman, Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has said he wants to examine the spending proposals closely.
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(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Members of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators are divided on the bill's merits. Justin Draeger, the organization's vice president of public policy, likes the Pell Grant provisions.
"Any investment we can make in Pell Grants is money well spent. There's been irrefutable evidence that providing low-income families with these dollars year after year increases access to education," he said.
Most activists and lawmakers agree on at least one point: The application process needs to be streamlined. The bill promises to "dramatically cut down the number of questions on the form," partly by allowing students and families to apply for aid using data from their tax returns.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hasn't yet considered the legislation but is expected to do so soon. The committee is considered sympathetic to changing the loan program, but its new chairman, Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has said he wants to examine the spending proposals closely.
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(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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