Brief: Pay back financial aid Propsed bill would make students repay Pell Grant money

VANESSA ARREDONDO

Copy Editor @ V_anana

Republican senators introduced a bill that will “encourage” Pell Grant recipients to graduate within six years.

The Pell for Performance Act is proposing that students who fail to graduate in six years repay back the Pell Grants, with interest accumulating from the first award letter. Should this bill made into law, it would affect all levels of postsecondary education, including community colleges.

According to Stanislav Levin, a research analyst for the LACCD Office of Institutional Research and Information, community colleges serves as an entry point into higher education for economically disadvantaged students, and the Federal Pell Grant serves a major role.

‘The Federal Pell Grant program is one of the critical mechanisms enabling students to substantially reduce their work burden, persevere in college, obtain a two year degree or transfer to a four-year institution,” Levin said in a report.

Beaver said that the program is not ending, but it is on hold. Should the district change it’s stance, the funding will resume.

“I don’t have a lot of respect for school administrators who act in such an arbitrary, clearly unconstitutional and clearly illegal manner,” Beaver said. “You think that you would have college campus of over 400 acres and a free speech zone the size of two or

Pell Grants are need-based financial aid rewards given to qualifying students, usually lowincome, to subsidize the cost of college each semester. These grants are not loans and do not need to be paid, whether a degree is completed or not.

Statistics show that about 36 percent of Pell Grant recipients are not graduating. These rates have caused concerns for opponents of the grant, who are pushing to amend the program. According to the Hechinger Report, analysis of 32 of the largest private and 50 of the largest public universities revealed that more than a third of Pell Grant recipients hadn’t earned a degree after six years.

A large percentage of Pell Grant recipients are non-traditional students in community colleges and trade schools, who are usually in those institutions to reduce the cost of an expensive education.

According to NPR, these students make up almost half of Pell Grant recipients, but only 3 percent earn a bachelor's degree.

Pell Grants are capped at $5,920 a semester. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the maximum Pell Grant award covers three paces. It’s crazy to have it in the first place.”

On campus, faculty and staff were told by undisclosed persons to not discuss the lawsuit. Yeprem Davoodian, an assistant professor of communications, said that students and faculty should be able to express their opinions on campus.

“First Amendment rights are federally protected for faculty, students and the general public, for about 30 percent of a four-year tuition, but on average, students don't receive the maximum award of $3,700, and are unable to pay tuition and fees.

“Access to financial aid is considered to be essential to the student academic success and educational goal attainment in a two-year institution,” Levin said in the report. “Absent an adequate financial aid award, many low- and middle-income college students will face certain barriers to college education, having to work significant number of hours to cover the costs of their education and living expenses as well as to fully meet their family obligations.” varredondo.roundupnews@gmail.com all civilians, and should be upheld on campus,” Davoodian said in a Roundup multimedia interview. “Free speech zones have been established because of incidents that may have caused a disturbance. But for free speech, you should be able to voice your opinion as long as it does not cause a disturbance.” varredondo.roundupnews@gmail.com students get into the program.

Republican senators say that this bill will offer a reprieve to taxpayers, who have paid $400 billion to fund the Pell Grant program since 2000, and are now spending more than $30 million a year to continue to fund the program, according to TIME.

The Act exempts current recipients, students who are on active military duty or who experience illness, injury or the death of a relative.

“They are usually up and down the mall talking to students,” Anafe said. “They help me with the outreach for the CalFresh program.”

For the moment students who are interested in the CalFresh program need to be taking at least six units to apply to CalFresh. Robinson said that students will be able to get up to 250 dollars a week for food if they are fully eligible to join.

CalFresh is still and expanding program. Anafe said that for contact information on more there is a website for students to visit, but the best to contact through the email that has been set up.

Associated Student Organization president Efren Lopez is looking forward to what CalFresh will bring for the students at Pierce College.

Lopez said that the school being so diligent in pushing CalFresh forward is a good sign for the students in need.

“When you make it transparent for students, when they meet the needs, its nice to know that this specific program school is showcasing for the students here,”

Lopez said.

Lopez is not the only person on campus that is looking forward to what CalFresh will bring to the campus. Students Against Student Hunger President Jordan Rice is looking forward to what CalFresh will bring to the students.

“I feel that it is a valuable asset on campus,” Rice said. “I would love to work with CalFresh.”

CalFresh has already been helping students. Rice said that he personally knows someone that has been helped by the program.

“CalFresh has literally helped my friend, so I have a lot of love for CalFresh,” Rice said.

For contact and more information please email calfresh@ piercecollege.edu.

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