THE rapid escalation in the cost of higher education is a widely acknowledged problem that threatens the ability of low- to moderate-income students to get a college education.
That's why we welcome recent proposals in Washington that would increase grants for financially needy students, as well as simplify the financial-aid forms and reduce interest rates.
During the last two decades, this country's education policy has sent mixed messages to our young people. Through high school, the focus is on attaining grade level standards and preparing students for college.
Then, they encounter a funding structure that has made college so expensive as to be an economic impossibility for many. In short, we are penalizing those young people who study hard and get good grades. Some simply give up on college when they see the looming price tag.
That's no way to groom a country's future leadership.
Exhibit A: When Pell grants were introduced in 1972, college tuition levels were low enough, particularly at public institutions, so that the grants made a significant difference in the ability of many students to attend college. But the grant levels haven't kept up with exponentially increasing college
tuition, a trend fueled by state decisions to cut public funding.
This collision of forces is most injurious to students whose families don't have the financial wherewithal to pick up the slack. Furthermore, financial aid as a whole has been shifting toward the middle class, leaving the neediest behind.
President Bush included in his budget a proposal to increase the maximum Pell grant to $4,600 in 2008 and to $5,400 in 2012.
Also, Congress' broad blueprint for a $2.9 trillion budget, passed in last May, emphasizes Pell increases. Federal lawmakers also have introduced measures that would cut in half the interest rate on federally subsidized student loans, now 6.8 percent.
As we integrate into a global economy, we must ensure that a college degree is an option for all of our young people.Labels: academy awards, career training, education online, financial aid, free college, free education, high school, scholarship, student loans |
