Today
President Bush announced his education budget for FY 2009 which proposes
funding the maximum Pell Grant award at $4,800, a very small increase over last
year. The federal Pell grant program is
the largest program of need-based grant aid available to college bound students
from low and moderate incomes. Other critical grant aid programs for low
and middle income students like the Federal Work Study program are level funded. The budget completely eliminates LEAP, the
Leveraging Educational Assistance Program, which provides
grants to states to assist them in providing need-based grants and community
service work-study assistance to eligible postsecondary students from low and
moderate income levels.
Statement of Christine
Lindstrom, Higher Education Project Director:
Last year, Congress provided the first meaningful
increase in financial aid funding for students and their families in over five
years. However, low and middle income
students still face significant unmet need in attaining a college degree. Even with new mandatory funding for the Pell
Grant which brings the proposed maximum award to $4,800, this maximum award
covers 50% less of tuition, room and board costs than it did thirty years
ago. Congress should build on last
year’s investment to restore and further increase critical grant aid programs
for students from low and moderate income levels.
