Pell Grant Funding At Risk

Although financial aid is something a majority of college students cannot live without, there is a real possibility that the Pell Grants budget will be cut significantly within the next year.

The main problem is that the Pell Grant is receiving more funding from the government than other departments.

Several federal agencies have to fight with each other for funding, so there has been much debate over this matter with Congress.

Congress was forced to give more money to the Pell Grant program due to an increase in enrollment in higher education institutions.

This caused tension with the subcommittees of other departments because many have to share a federal dollar amount allocation. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all share the same designation–302(b).

As long as people are willing to continue going to school, this tension will live on.

A budget cap is already being planned for next year and if cuts happen there is a high possibility that low income students will have to pay out of pocket.

This means they will either have to take out loans, which will put them in debt, or stop attending school.

Right now, nothing is set in stone. However, some students may feel as if it is.

Cynthia Pitchford, who has been a student at JJC since 2013, has already been impacted by the cuts from her grants.

“There have been a lot of changes since I have been going here,” Pitchford said.

“In the first semester everything seemed to be fine but as the second semester came around, me and a couple of other students I know had to take out loans because the grants were not able to cover fees.”

Pitchford also mentioned that she normally does not know when her Pell Grant would kick in until after finals are done and her grades are in.

Students like Cornelia Jones, who is not originally from the Joliet area, could also be adversely affected.

Jones mentioned how tuition can be different depending on the district one lived in. That student could get less money due to their location.

Though students like these are able to manage their financial aid, students who need to take developmental courses will probably be the most affected.

Depending on how well the student scores on the placement test, they will possibly have to take prerequisites in order to get their degree, which is costly.

Tonetta Jones, Project Achieve counselor, stated that of the 200 students that are with the Project Achieve program, about 51 percent of them are using financial aid.

The Pell Grant is essential for these students considering that most of them are from low-income homes.

“The amount of money that you make in this country is typically in correlation to the education you receive,” Jones said.

As of 2015, nothing is certain about the future of Pell Grants. However, progress and ideals continue to be available for public viewing in the media.

Visit: https://www.americanprogress.org/, click “Federal Budget”, and then “Capped Out” to explore the topic further.