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<h1>Tell Congress: Don't Cut Pell Grants</h1>
<font style="" face="Courier New">On February 11, House Republicans <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/02/14/house_republicans_would_slash_pell_grants_research_and_americorps_in_2011">proposed slashing Pell Grants</a>
for 8 million students by cutting the maximum award by $845 (15%),
which would affect students enrolling this fall. This reduces the
maximum grant from $5,550 to $4,705, and would reduce all students'
grants accordingly. Preliminary estimates are that 1.5 million students
would be kicked out of the program and, likely, college.</font><BR>
<font style="" face="Courier New">The cuts are included in the "continuing resolution," which is
necessary to keep the federal government funded in lieu of an adopted
appropriations bill. While the deficit is a serious issue that needs to
be addressed, cutting access to higher education will only slow
America's economic recovery and create bigger deficits for years to
come.</font><BR><font style="" face="Courier New"><br></font><BR>
<font style="" face="Courier New">Call Congress today and tell them to protect higher education
opportunity by opposing the proposed cut to Pell Grants. Votes are
expected this week in the House, so call today!</font><BR><font style="" face="Courier New"><br></font><BR><font style="" face="Courier New">Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA52)<br>Call your member: 202-225-5672<br>Fax your member: 202-225-0235<br><a href="https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/">e-mail your member</a><br>Post on Facebook wall: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DuncanHunter">DuncanHunter</a><br></font><hr><font style="" face="Courier New">Susan A. Davis (D-CA53)<br>Call your member: 202-225-2040<br>Fax your member: 202-225-2948<br><a href="https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/">e-mail your member</a><br>Post on Facebook wall: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/103767526332478">103767526332478</a><br></font><hr><font style="" face="Courier New">Brian P. Bilbray (R-CA50)<br>Call your member: 202-225-0508<br>Fax your member: 202-225-2558<br><a href="https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/">e-mail your member</a><br>Post on Facebook wall: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanBilbray">CongressmanBilbray</a><br></font><br><br><br>WASHINGTON – <a id="KonaLink0" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">President </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">Barack </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">Obama's </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">budget </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">plan</span></font></a>
would cut $100 billion from Pell Grants and other higher education
programs over a decade through belt-tightening and use the savings to
keep the maximum college financial aid award at $5,550, an <a id="KonaLink1" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">administration </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">official</span></font></a> said.<BR>
Nearly $90 billion of the projected savings would be
achieved through two changes, said the official, who spoke on condition
of anonymity ahead of Monday's release of Obama's 2012 budget. The <a id="KonaLink2" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">spending </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">plan</span></font></a> applies to the budget year that begins Oct. 1.<BR>
Congress would have to approve both changes.<BR><br><BR>
The first proposal would end the "year-round Pell"
policy that let students collect two grants in a calendar year, with the
second grant used for summer school. The official said the costs
exceeded expectations and there was little evidence that students earn
their degrees any faster.<BR><br><BR>
The change would save $8 billion next year and $60 billion over a decade, the official said.<BR>
A second proposal would reduce loan subsidies for
graduate and professional students. That would free $2 billion next year
and save $29 billion over 10 years, according to the official.<BR><br><BR>
The government currently pays the interest on student
loans for some graduate and professional students as long as they stay
in college. But the official said experts think the subsidy has failed
to encourage more students to attend graduate school and it isn't
well-matched to borrowers who have trouble repaying the loans.<BR><br><BR>
The administration also has expanded other programs
that help students reduce loan payments and ultimately forgive debt they
can no longer afford to repay.<BR><br><BR>
Another $4 billion in savings over 10 years would be
achieved by broadening the use of IRS data to determine eligibility,
reducing improper payments and easing the application process, the
official said.<BR><br><BR>
Faced with growing annual budget deficits and a national debt into the trillions of dollars, Obama has said his <a id="KonaLink3" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">latest </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">budget </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">proposal</span></font></a>
would save $400 billion over the next decade, including through a
five-year freeze on some discretionary spending and cuts to programs
that he says even he cares about.<BR><br><BR>
But at the same time, Obama wants to increase
spending in areas he says are priorities, such as education and
innovation, which he says are important for long-term economic growth
and competitiveness.<BR><br><BR>
"It would be a mistake to balance the budget by
sacrificing our children's education," he said Saturday in his weekly
radio and Internet address, in an apparent warning to Republicans.<BR><br><BR>
<a id="KonaLink4" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">House </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">Republicans</span></font></a>
want to cut $100 billion from the budget proposal Obama submitted for
2011 and education and college financial aid are expected to take a hit.<BR><br><BR>
Congress, then controlled by Democrats, did not pass a budget for 2011.<BR><br><BR>
Pell Grants are the main federal college financial
aid program for the poor. More than 9 million students receive these
grants every year, according to the <a id="KonaLink5" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_pell_grants#"><font style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;" color="#366388"><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">White </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(54, 99, 136) ! important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13px; position: static;">House</span></font></a>, and Obama increased the maximum award to $5,550. The money does not have to be repaid.<BR>
The administration is projecting a shortfall of more
than $20 billion in the program for the 2012. Without action, officials
say, the maximum award would have to be cut by more than $2,500 to meet
demand.<BR><br><BR>
Demand increased sharply since the economic slump
because more job seekers are going to school to learn new skills and
they need help paying the tuition, the administration official said.<BR> </body>
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