Originally printed in The New York Times. Adjusted for local audiences.
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The Obama administration, even as it tried to restrain other domestic spending in its 2011 budget request, has called for expanding the Pell Grants, the main federal college aid program for low-income families.
If adopted by Congress, the president’s formula would raise the top grant to $5,710 in 2011, compared with $5,550 this year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, and make the program available to an additional one million students.
Rising college costs: A Federal Role?
Supporters of the Pell Grants, which began in 1973, want to make them an entitlement, as the cost of higher education continues to rise. But some researchers say the expansion of the grants and other federal aid has a counterproductive effect — that colleges and universities simply soak up the gains by increasing their tuition and other costs.
Is there a connection between federal education aid and the inflation rate in higher education? More broadly, what can Washington do, if anything, to improve the effectiveness of its programs and reduce the costs of college?
GO!
Is there a connection between federal education aid and the inflation rate in higher education? More broadly, what can Washington do, if anything, to improve the effectiveness of its programs and reduce the costs of college?
GO!
A student's Pell check is based on their income and the number of credit hours they enroll in. In additional to Pell, a student also receives HOPE. HOPE pays for tuition and provides funds for textbooks.
Abusers will max out their credit hours, claim no income, and once they have their check in hand, they drop or fail the classes that HOPE (pays for tuition and books) and Pell (taxpayer's money in their pocket) paid for. They do not have to show how they spent the Pell check; thus, there's no auditing of the system--and it is widely abused!
It all goes back to the welfare system in general. People find ways to take 'free' money and use it to live off of with NO desire to obtain an education or to better themselves.
What really irks me is state-mandated furlough days. The federal government will allot a student $5,710 a year for attending college while the state takes several days of pay from teachers who more than likely use a portion of their income to pay for their student loans. This makes NO sense!
In my opinion, Obama is just padding the welfare system. Students should take out a student loan to cover their tuition/books. When you have pay for something, usually you want to get your money's worth!