truth on pell grants here

[yardwork]

http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/pellgrantsummary.html

BUSH RECORD ON PELL GRANTS:
Making Students Pay More for College

February 2, 2004

Bush Freezes Federal College Scholarship, or Pell Grant
Just as college tuition is rising and the buying power of grants continues to erode, President Bush has frozen the maximum Pell Grant at $4,050 in his FY 2005 education budget. This is the 3rd year in a row that Bush has frozen or cut the maximum Pell Grant.

Despite Bush’s protests that restoring the buying power of the Pell Grant won’t stop rising college costs, he continues to ignore the tuition problem. Not only has he failed to address rising college tuition, but his budget makes college even more expensive by freezing or cutting student aid and taxing students.

Bush Breaks his Promise to Increase Maximum Pell Grant to $5,100
While campaigning in 2000, President Bush, pledged to make college more affordable and accessible by increasing the maximum Pell Grant for college freshman to $5,100.

Not only has President Bush broken his promise to increase the maximum Pell award to $5,100, but he’s actually frozen or cut the maximum Pell grant for the past three years.

Bush College Aid Update Would Force Students to Pay More for College
In 2003, the Bush Administration made revisions to the information used to determine financial aid eligibility that would have eliminated Pell Grants for 84,000 students, and reduced college aid to thousands more students. Fortunately, a Democratic amendment to the 2004 Education Appropriations bill reversed the Bush cuts, restoring Pell Grants and key college aid to students.

Leaves 99 percent of Pell Recipients Behind with ‘Expanded’ Pell Program
As part of his 21st Century Jobs initiative, President Bush announced an increase of up to $1,000 in the maximum grant for Pell recipients who take challenging high school coursework. What the President failed to mention is that he’s capped his plan so that less than 1 percent of all Pell recipients, and less than three-tenths of 1 percent all of all college students, would benefit.