To the Editor:
The recent reporting by The Daily Pennsylvanian on the status of Pell Grants ("Senate seeks to raise Pell Grant," DP, 3/22/05) and Perkins Loans should be commended. It is important that students understand where student aid comes from and the changes that are occurring to the system.
Despite the level of reporting on the issue, unless students act immediately increased funding for the Pell Grant Program and funding for the Perkins Loan program will not be passed into law.
As reported in the DP, the House of Representatives' Budget Resolution does not include these provisions. In committee, the provisions to protect student aid recently passed in the Senate can, and probably will, be taken out of the resolution.
I encourage fellow students to contact their representatives today to encourage them to protect student aid programs. Congress needs to hear our voices and know that its actions adversely affect us. If we don't, many students will be surprised and disappointment when they return to school in the fall.
Eli Lipschultz
College '05
