Experts: Pell grant hike will be big
Summary: The newly passed stimulus plan will increase the maximum pell grant award to $5,350 this year, and to $5,500 next year. Financial aid officers are still in the dark on how much money will be distributed, but the retention rate will increase because more students will be able to afford college.
Topic: Pell grants
Category: Alternative journalistic
What is it? article
Publication; Boston Business Journal, 2/20/09
Author: Noyes, Jesse
Location: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/02/16/daily56.html
Accessed: 2/20/09
Support:
Bernie Pekala: director of student financial strategies at Boston College
US department of education
Dan Forster: chief financial aid officer at Simmons College
Joyce McLaughlin: director of financial aid at University of Mass. Lowell
Summary:
The US department of education sends out a grid to every college which shows whether a student is eligible and determines how much a student will recieve. A representative is quoted saying that new grids, with the changes introduced in the stimulus plan, will be sent out in the coming weeks. Bernie Pekala is quoted in support of the increase in pell grant funding, calling it a “win win for students and the schools…”. Dan Forster basically reiterates what the department of education officer said earlier, that estimated awards will be packaged in the coming weeks. Joyce McLaughlin is quoted supporting the increase in funding at the end of the article.
Audience and agenda:
The Boston Business Journal cover news on the economy of the Boston area. They have a readership of 2000 citizens, and take no political stance in their writings.
Usefulness:
One thing that this showed is that the pell grant award will increase aven more next year to $5,500. Another is that the eligibility of students for pell grant aid might change. If the eligibility requirements change then that will be a failure to fufill on a campaign promise to make college available to everyone.
Filed under: Source notes
[...] Cited: Journalistic number one Journalistic number two Journalistic number three Journalistic number four Journalistic number five [...]