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PELL: Students angered over more budget cutsFrom Page One

like Pell Grants. The bill has only been passed by the House, which means it still needs to pass through the Senate and be signed by Pres-ident Barack Obama for these changes to be put into effect.

According to the National Association of Student Fi-nancial Aid, the maximum award offered under the federal Pell Grant program would be reduced from $5,550 to $4,705. It would also take funding away from the Gear-Up and TRIO pro-grams, while completely eliminating funding from the Federal Supplemental Edu-cational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Leveraging Educational Assistance Part-nership (LEAP).

However, federal work study programs won’t be affected. The Stafford and PLUS loans also won’t be touched.

“Cutting all FSEOGs could have a devastating impact on EOP (Educational Opportu-nity Programs) populations,” said Todd Moravec, director of student financial services.

EOP is for students who need special academic assis-

tance, such as tutoring, coun-seling and supplemental in-struction. This also includes financial assistance. Moravec said students in the program are PSUC’s highest needs students, who could suffer if these cuts were made.

The FSEOG budget has al-ready decreased in the last ten academic years. PSUC was allotted $206,742 in FSEOG funding for the 2002-03 years, dropping down to $155,778 in 2010-11.

If funding isn’t entirely eliminated, that number will drop even lower to $127,304 for 2011-12.

As for Pell Grants, the 2,500 students on campus who use them toward tuition, books and housing could be award-ed less money for 2011-12. Moravec said there was $8.5 million in Pell Grant money distributed among those stu-dents this year.

“We have a high number of students with Pell,” Moravec said. “Roughly one in three of our full-time undergrads have a Pell award. The fed-eral government considers that high.”

Moravec said it is hard to predict, but the average award amount would de-

crease to about $250 per stu-dent. Moravec said it is also possible that some students may lose their Pell awards altogether.

To compensate for their lost Pell money, students would most likely have to pay these expenses out of pocket or by taking out additional loans, Moravec said. He does not predict an increase in the student drop out rate. How-ever, he does predict that summer Pell Grants will be eliminated.

Under a different bud-get proposed by President Obama, summer Pell Grants are proposed to be elimi-nated entirely, giving way for Moravec’s suspicions.

Last year was the first time PSUC received Pell Grants for summer programs, Moravec said. Students who came in the fall and spring could

be given a year-round Pell, awarding them a grant for summer class expenses as well.

Moravec said this helps some students reach gradu-ation sooner.

PSUC students are not happy at the thought of los-ing any of their financial aid. Students who use Pell Grants are vexed at the possibility of losing that money.

“I’m pretty much paying my own tuition,” PSUC stu-dent Alex Ramjattan said. “I would be very sad if my Pell Grant decreased. It only saves a couple hundred (dol-lars), but it helps a lot.”

For PSUC students like Farhan Kabir, who pay the out-of-state tuition rate, Pell Grants are especially helpful.

“It would suck for me if they cut Pell Grants,” Kabir said. “I pay out-of-state tu-

ition and Pell Grants help. I would be looking at a $5,000 increase a year, which means I would have to take out more loans, which means more interest.”

PSUC student Marcus Han-son said he would be unhap-py about a decrease in his Pell award because he uses it to supplement his rent and pay for books.

Even students who don’t use the programs in jeopar-dy are still concerned about cuts to any education fund-ing.

“Everyone de-serves their educa-tion,” PSUC student Rory King said. “I hope the bill doesn’t pass.”

PSUC student Wes Edwards said he disapproves of the bill, but understands why it would propose cuts to cer-tain financial aid programs.

“It’s extremely unfortu-nate, it really is, but it’s the weakest spot in education,” Edwards said. “Unfortunate-ly, it’s the first spot spending shouldn’t be cut. Teachers would disagree, but there are a lot of books and things that are unnecessary that could

save money if they were tak-en away.”

PSUC student Agnitra Roy Choudhury said he feels very passionately about any de-crease of federal funding to education in general.

“Federal education centers need to be funded. We need to be able to compete with the rest of the world,” Roy Choudhury said. “Lowering the standards of higher edu-cation by decreasing funds decreases (the number of) productive people. Produc-

tive people are an in-vestment because it’s human capital, our country’s biggest as-set. A financial cut in education is like para-lyzing the economy even further.”

Roy Choudhury said he believes cuts

in government spending are necessary, but thinks they should be in welfare and de-fense more than financial aid and education programs.

“Without education, the country is barren,” Roy Choud-hury said. “Depleted educa-tion is worse for this country than a terror attack, and it will lead to social destruction and economic disaster.”

Graphic Design by Amanda Fruehauf/Cardinal PointsProfessors and teachers feel the federal government isn’t putting enough value on education. The feel the willingness to take money away from federal Pell Grants proves this.

“Without education, the country is barren. Depleted education is worse for this coun-

try than a terror attack, and it willlead to social destruction and

economic disaster.”Agnitra Roy Choudhury

PSUC Student

Moravec