Higher Pell Grant funding promised but not guaranteed, University of Michigan professor warns - Juliana Keeping, AnnArbor.com

A University of Michigan professor warned that, despite the legislation, there's no guarantee the maximum Pell awards will be sustained in federal budgets set each year. At Washtenaw Community College, a Pell Grant can go a long way, covering tuition for a full load of classes and books, with the remainder applied toward living expenses, financial aid director Lori Trapp said. About 20 percent of WCC students received the grants in 2008-2009. "With all the students we are seeing either coming to WCC for the first time, or who are returning back to college, such as the displaced workers who have lost their jobs, Pell is the foundation of many financial aid packages," Trapp said.