Editorial: Likely cuts in financial aid will limit accessibility

A destructive new federal spending bill awaiting President
Bush’s signature would slash the number of students eligible
for Pell Grants.

The bill, likely to be approved by the president, will further
erode the nation’s already-fragile public university system.
Lower aid and higher fees will undoubtedly limit the accessibility
of higher education.

As many as 1.2 million students would see cuts in their Pell
Grant funding under the new eligibility guidelines, according to
the Los Angeles Times. Up to 90,000 students might lose funding
completely.

In addition to the federal aid reductions, many states base
their aid allocations on the federal guidelines ““ meaning
some students could face simultaneous federal and state aid
reductions.

University of California students will surely be affected
““ the top six campuses with students receiving Pell Grants
are UC schools, and UCLA holds the top spot.

Chancellor Albert Carnesale has suggested increasing fees as a
way to close the gap created by declining state funds. But this
recent cut in Pell Grants illustrates the importance of keeping
tuition low when financial aid can be so easily rolled back.