By John "Ski" Sygielski

In its effort to balance the federal budget, Congress is considering an action that will hurt the country in the long run — devastating cuts to Pell Grants. These grants have long been key in making a college education affordable for working class college students and their parents. Right now, when they are struggling to make ends meet, much less afford a college education, is this really the answer to help balance the federal budget?

House Republicans recently introduced and ultimately succeeded in passing H.R. 1, which cuts spending on Pell Grants. These grants provide financial aid to students who need assistance the most. The proposal is geared to save the government $100 billion through 10 years, offsetting the costs of maintaining Pell Grants for 9 million students, according to the federal government. But at what cost to the higher education of those who need the money most?

If the Senate passes H.R. 1, it will succeed in slashing the U.S. Department of Education’s $63.7 billion 2010 fiscal year budget by $4.9 billion. Roughly 15 percent will be cut from the college-aid program. This means that the current per-student maximum for Pell Grants would drop $845, from $5,550 to $4,705, the largest amount ever for this program.

At the same time, the need for a college education has never been greater. Most jobs being created will require at least an associate degree. What’s more, the nation has seen its standing as a world leader in education begin to slip. Locking working class students out of college by making it unaffordable risks creating a permanent underclass and further eroding America’s standing in the world.

Currently, the maximum Pell Grant award allows students from HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, to take a full course load each semester — a minimum of 12 credit hours — even if they are not from one of the sponsoring school districts. In addition, at its current level the grant often provides sufficient money to also cover textbooks — a significant expense for college students.

Lowering the Pell Grant award by almost $1,000 will cost non-sponsored HACC students three full credits dropping them to part-time status. Even students from sponsoring districts will feel the pinch and might have to cut back on their course load. The impact on the 9,000 out of 23,000 HACC students who receive Pell Grants could be devastating. And, in recent years, many of those in need of the grant are displaced workers returning to HACC seeking to update their skills.

Outside of the ranks of community college students, the news is even worse. According to collegeloanconsultant.com, college tuition rates also have gone up much more than Pell Grant awards. With the rising cost of higher education, the last thing we need is a decrease in financial aid.

The average 2010-11 tuition increase was 4.5 percent at private colleges and 7.9 percent at public universities, according to The College Board. These figures are substantially higher than the general inflation rate and the average increase in personal incomes. The substantial growth in Pell Grant recipients just during the last year is proof that any cuts would have far-reaching consequences.

By reducing the number of U.S. college graduates and increasing the debt of those who do manage to complete their higher education without Pell Grant assistance, the government is providing a great disservice to the potential of this country and its economic stability.

In fact, the proposed savings could be more costly to our country and central Pennsylvania in the long run.



John "Ski" Sygielski is president-designee of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, and chairman of the American Association of Community Colleges Board.





