College aid to be cut by Bush

Melissa Steven Perspectiveseditor

MS727@CABRINI EDU

For many students receiving Perkins loans to help pay for college, it may turn out to be one of the final years for the program.

President Bush announced on Monday, Feb. 6, his plans to eliminate the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act and the Perkins Loan Program for low-income students.

On the other hand, he wants to introduce new merit-based aid called the Academic Competitiveness Grants. The Perkins Loan program gives aid based on financial standing, not merit.

Also announced was that the Pell Grant would not increase for the fifth year in a row.

This year at Cabrini, 94 students have received Perkins Loans. Mike Colahan, director of financial aid, said that number is usually around 100 students every year.

Also, Cabrini receives anywhere between $130,000 to $150,000 to give students Perkins Loans. On average a student receiving that loan could get anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000 each year.

Colahan said, “If we lose our Perkins program at this school, it won’t effect our overall enrollment. It’s just one more way to make it harder to pay for college, here or any other school.”

Patrick Tiberio, a senior finance major, said, “I feel like our president is making it financially tougher and tougher for students of lower income to become successful.”

Bush’s plan has been receiving criticism from college lobbyists who have said that the President is cutting need-based financial aid and is trying to replace it with aid based on merit.

“I have received Perkins loans for my four years at Cabrini. Not receiving that money possibly could have swayed by decision to come to Cabrini,” Tiberio said.

The 2006 budget proposal is said to be focusing on elementary and secondary education where the administration is cont inually pushing to deliver results from the controversial No Child Left Behind Act.

By cutting these programs, the government is proposing to shift the money from them into a block grant for states to use for high-school reform, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Colahan said, “It’s easy to propose new programs, but Congress must allocate the funds or nothing will ever come of it.”

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