Spirit of Pell Grant under attack by federal budget proposals - Thomas Botzman, News-Press

Congress is now working through its upcoming budget, and support for higher education is one of the many topics under review. Thankfully, the House Appropriations Committee has proposed a modest increase in Pell Grant funding. The Pell Grant travels with the student, linking it to the potential future workforce as students choose both institution and courses of study. Unfortunately, another congressional proposal would cap the number of Pell Grant recipients, effectively limiting the number of students who can attain a degree and then repay it with a lifetime of career earnings. A second proposal would make Pell subject to annual appropriations, removing its mandatory inclusion in the budget. That proposal would raise the possibility of cutting Pell support by more than 15 percent per student, according to the Committee for Education Funding. http://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/08/30/spirit-pell-grant-attack-federal-budget-proposals/71442332/