Penn ranks high on the list of universities with the most recipients of Pell Grants — need-based grants that are awarded to low-income students. About 11 percent of undergraduates at the University receive this federal financial aid.
The country needs a strong Federal Pell Grant Program to ensure that these students — as well as their peers nationwide — have affordable access to higher education.
Over the past week, two different proposals that could adversely affect the fate of the Pell Grant program were released.
Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced a spending bill for the remainder of the fiscal year that seeks to slash the maximum amount of aid a student may receive through the program. Meanwhile, in his budget proposal for 2012, President Barack Obama eliminated several aspects of the program — including interest subsidies for graduate students and year-round aid — to keep the maximum amount stable in the near future.
We are wary of the possible ramifications of each proposal on Penn students. Pell Grants have supported students’ ability to finance their education for many years.
While we understand the need to cut spending, the Pell Grant program is necessary to ensure that a Penn education remains accessible to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
What do you think of the treatment of Pell Grants in the Republicans' spending bill and Obama's budget? Send us a letter to the editor: letters@theDP.com.
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