Obama budget proposal threatens Pell Grants

[Bluebear]

By Donald Handshy - Staff Writer - St. Louis Community College Montage

Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

On Feb. 14, 2010, President Barack Obama unveiled his 2012 budget proposal. In it, Obama detailed spending cuts aiming to reduce the federal deficit by $1.1 trillion within 10 years, bringing the deficit down to $627 billion by 2017...

Some of these budget cuts include changes to the Pell Grant program which will have an impact on many students across the country.

The Pell Grant Protection Act, proposed as part of the $77.4 billion budget for the Department of Education, contains a few key changes that affect Pell Grants and Stafford loans directly. "Not knowing what could happen makes me very disappointed in our government," Meramec student and Pell Grant recipient Dave Sullivan said, "I think that they should make up their minds, finish the budget, and let us know what we have to live with so we can plan accordingly."

Based on the Obama budget proposal, the Pell Grant would still award $5,550. The budget would eliminate the new "year-round Pell Grant" which awards a second Pell Grant within the same calendar year to eligible students. Currently, this second award is granted to approximately 800,000 students across the country.

http://www.meramecmontage.com/news/budget-proposal-threatens-pell-grants-1.2129884