Editorial: Pell Grant restrictions undermine aid recipients

Pell Grants are a crucial part of the funding equation enabling
lower income families to send their children to college. Last
month, President Bush signed an omnibus bill that would have
restricted Pell Grant aid for thousands of students.

Thankfully, House Democrats are fighting against this outrageous
alteration. A new bill, cosponsored by California Representative
George Miller, seeks to undo the modifications and restore the old
equation used to determine aid eligibility.

According to the American Council on Education, the changes
could reduce aid for 1.3 million students. And 89,000 students
could loose their eligibility all together.

Miller and other House Democrats understand that those numbers
are unacceptable. In a time when tuitions are rising nationwide,
Pell Grants are an important link that can be the difference
between a college education and a dead-end after high school.

A Pell Grant recipient today, when adjusted for inflation,
receives less per year than a student 20 years ago. The system
needs expansion, not more restrictions.