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November 22, 2005
Federal budget gaps threatens student aid
Spending in Iraq, previous tax cuts and hurricanes could spell a historic cut in student aid programs for higher education in the coming years. The U.S. of Representatives and Senate have passed different bills that plan to take money out of student aid funds. “The fact that 14 million [dollars] maybe cut from higher education programs just to fill federal budget gaps is irresponsible,” said Tim McDonald, President of
Minnesota’s Association of Private College Students (MAPCS). “Some have called it fiscal child abuse.”
The Higher Education Act (HEA), first passed in 1964, is usually reauthorized every five years.
Reauthorization was supposed to happen last year, but due to election year politics it was extended until this fall. Most times that the HEA is reauthorized, it is seen as an opportunity to improve access to colleges and universities. However, since it coincides with Congress’s budget reconciliation this year, cuts are inevitable.
The plan seems to be that college students will take the proverbial punch in the wallet for the current federal deficit brought on by war and subsequent spending in Iraq, previous tax cuts, and spending associated with the recent hurricanes.
Students haven’t been taking the punches lying down, however. “The forty thousand future leaders of
America that I represent stand united against this bill,”McDonald said. “The generation that benefited from highly-subsidized, affordable college is pulling up the ladder and making students of our generation debt-finance not only our own educations, but their current tax cuts and their retirement as well.”
McDonald said that this issue is especially important for Minnesota due to the changing demographics of our state. In the coming years there will be many young people who will need financial help to attend college, but things aren’t getting any easier. The Federal Pell Grant has not increased in four years, yet tuition costs have continued to rise.
The increase of tuition can largely be blamed on higher costs for employee health care, the challenge of keeping up with technology, and institutional financial aid. Student need is greater than ever and the government is not keeping up. Therefore, the financial burden of making sure that underprivileged students have access to higher education has fallen on academic institutions.
However, students aren’t exactly asking for a free ride either. “Yes, it is fair to ask, and I expect young adults to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and work to earn their education,” McDonald said. “But we must ask ourselvesčat what point do those bootstraps begin to break at the expense of our nation’s future? When does the responsibility of earning one’s education begin to burden their potential?”
The senate has passed their version of the controversial bill which also includes cuts to Medicaid and Project Head Start, and the house passed their version Friday the 18th. The bill will now go to a conference committee where legislators will hash out an agreement.
Posted by msveum at November 22, 2005 11:00 AM
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