One of Barack Obama’s campaign promises was to increase the maximum pell grant award to $5,400 over the next couple years. The maximum amount that you can earn on a pell grant this year is $4,731, that would be an increase of almost 1,000 dollars. This increase would cover almost 1/3 of the full cost of college. Funding for the education of our children was one challenge that Obama wanted to face as soon as he got into the White House.
During his first 50 days in office Obama passed a 300 billion dollar economic stimulus package that gave 105.9 billion dollars to the department of education. 15.6 billion dollars of the money given to the education went towards funding a 500 dollar increase in Pell Grants. Which made it possible for 7 million more kids to go to college. The maximum Pell Grant award for 2009-2010 school year is 5,350 dollars. It will increase to 5,500 dollars during the 2010-2011 school year. This was the biggest Pell Grant increase ever, and if Obama has his way it won’t be the last.
A Pell Grant is federal financial aid that does not have to be repaid after a student graduates college. Applying for a Pell Grant is fairly easy, you just log on to the FAFSA website and fill out a free application. This application takes about an hour to fill out, asking for income information for you and your parents. You will get an estimate of your Pell Grant award along with your financial aid award letter, or you will be given a check by your college. How much your award is depends on, how financially needy you are, how many credits you are taking each term, and whether or not you will be in school for the entire academic year.
During my research on this subject I interviewed a fellow student who recieves a Pell Grant as part of his financial aid. Josh Clark recieves a Pell Grant check once a term to attend the University of Oregon. Josh gets the maximum 4,371 dollar award each year, along with 2,972 from the Oregon Opportunity Grant. He uses the money from Grants, along with what it left from student loans as living expenses. The money usually does get him through the term, but he says that it is barely enough. When asking about meals Josh replied “lots of Ramen and Mac & Cheese”.
Josh was not able to earn the Pell Grant until he turned 24 because his parents income was just barely over the limit to earn one. Even though he was living on his own he was still a dependant until age 24. So thinking financially, Josh attended community college. He commented that it was more comfortable living then, because he was able to find a job to support himself. But he says that down in Eugene it is harder to find work. Josh has worked at 10 resturaunts before, and when applying to work at resturaunts in Eugene he got a call back for one of them.
- The first scholarship was awarded in 1643
- GI Bill (1944): Brought to light the idea that everyone benefits from a college education.
- Higher education act (1965): Introduced the Educational Opportunity grant program.
- Higher education amendment: Basic grant, now known as the pell grant is created. Made grants portable (not tied to the institution). This gave students the opportunity to choose which institution they wanted to attend.
- Amendments (1980): Basic Grant’s name is changed to the Pell Grant, honoring the work Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell.
Over the past decade the total cost of college has gone up aproximately 7,000 dollars, and the maximum Pell Grant award has increased by about 2,000 dollars. This is not living up to what this Grant was created to. When the Pell Grant was introduced it covered almost all of the total cost of attending college. Over time the cost of attending college increased, but the federal government did not increase Pell Grant funds to offset the rise in tuition. So now we have this huge gap to fill.
Education is one of Barack Obama’s key issues. During his time as State Senator helped introduce 4 education bills. While on the campaign trail in 2008 Obama promised that college would be available to everyone, and that it was no longer going to be a dream.
Competing Ideas
Promise Program
- Created by Linda Brady at UNC.
- 40-50 throughout the country.
- Guarantees no student loans for tuition.
- Must be eligible for a Pell Grant.
- Pathway Oregon is a Promise Program that was offered for the first time this term to incoming Freshman. In order to qualify for this program you had to be an Oregon resident, filled out a FAFSA application, and qualify for a Pell Grant. This year 415 students are benefiting from this opportunity, 42% of those kids are first generation college students. The average high school GPA of the pathway students was a 3.58. Not only does this program offer financial aid, but you get a free month of tutoring in math or foreign language. So this program not only funds your education, but it makes sure that you succeed.
- Education is a basic right, so if you meet the requirements to attend college the government should pay for it.
- 1944 GI Bill was successful at making higher education free.
- There was also success when the New York University made attendance free.
- With the changes that have happened in the economy over the past three decades it is apparent that we need this opportunity now more than over.
Answer
I think that the government should be funding both Pell Grants and Promise Programs. We need to keep increasing the maximum Pell Grant award in order offset the rise in college costs. We also need to fund Promise Programs, because they are helping prevent college students from being in debt after college.
Arguments against answer
- The federal government has not come through with the funding in the past. Why will they now?
- Education is a basic right. Shouldn’t it be free for everyone?
Work Cited:
Journalistic number one
Journalistic number two
Journalistic number three
Journalistic number four
Journalistic number five
Institutional number one
Institutional number two
Institutional number three
Institutional number four
Institutional number five
Institutional number six
Academic number one
Academic number two
Academic number three/ Multimedia number one
Academic number four/Citizen one
Academic number five
Academic number six
Citizen number two/Blog number one
Citizen number three/Blog number two
Citizen number four
Multimedia number two
Multimedia number three
Multimedia number four
Multimedia number five
Multimedia number six
Photo number one/Blog number three
Photo number two
Photo number three
Photo number four
Photo number five
Filed under: Source notes
