Pell Grants under fire: Welfare or way to boost college graduates? - Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal Constitution

On the issue of college affordability — which arose in an earlier blog this week — there is mounting concern over proposed congressional cuts to Pell Grants, the nation’s largest financial aid program for college students and the most costly. Pell Grants are expected to cost nearly $40 billion for next year. Republicans in Congress want to slash the amount of the awards or the number of eligible recipients. The budget passed by the House cuts maximum grant by 45 percent and ousts about 1.5 million students from the eligibility rolls. Advocates counter that Pell Grants are already failing to keep up with actual college costs. Thirty years ago, the maximum Pell award covered about three-fourths of the college costs. Now it covers only about one-third. The need-based grants — which are not repaid – help 10 million low-income students pay for college. The amount awarded to a student each year is based on need and school costs, but is never more than $5,550, the current cap. Reading about the Pell debate, it’s interesting to see how it resembles the Georgia debate on cutting the HOPE Scholarship. Except no one compared HOPE to welfare.