Latest news with #PellGrant
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FY26 budget plan would slash maximum Pell Grant by nearly a quarter
This story was originally published on Higher Ed Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Higher Ed Dive newsletter. Maximum Pell Grants would be cut by nearly $1,700, or about 23%, under the U.S. Department of Education's fleshed-out fiscal 2026 budget request released on Friday. The new maximum award would be $5,710 for the 2026-27 award year. The number of Pell Grant awards would fall by 111,000 from fiscal 2025 levels and aid available to students would decrease by $9.3 billion, to $27.7 billion, according to the budget document. Additionally, the proposal would cut all $1.6 billion from a grant program for low-income students supplementing Pell. The department also outlined its intention to seek a reversal of who pays the lion's share of student wages under a drastically reduced Federal Work-Study program. As requested in President Donald Trump's "skinny budget" last month, the program would be cut by nearly $1 billion, leaving employers to pick up more of the tab. Early this year, warning signs about the financial stability of the Pell program began flashing. In January, the Congressional Budget Office issued a report projecting a $2.7 billion deficit for fiscal 2025 for the program that helps lower-income students attend college. At the time, the nonprofit advocacy group Institute for College Access & Success warned that the shortfall could mean cuts for fiscal 2026 on a scale not seen since the Great Recession. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget followed up with projections of persistent shortfalls in the program over the next decade and said Pell Grants would need increased appropriations, smaller awards, tighter eligibility or some combination of those to stabilize the program. A January report from the Urban Institute attributed the Pell shortfalls to a combination of formula changes expanding eligibility and increases in undergraduate student enrollment in recent years. In its budget document, the Education Department blamed the funding shortfalls on 'Congressional inaction' and 'increasing instances of fraud.' The fraud allegations were tied to an Education Department announcement last week that it had found almost $90 million in student aid payments to ineligible recipients, including more than $30 million to people listed as dead in a Social Security Administration index. The department, in its budget detail document, said the Pell Grants program is the 'foundation of low- and moderate- income students' financial aid package and helps ensure access to postsecondary education.' But some higher education groups worry the administration's budget plans would reduce access. 'The President's budget slashes student financial aid, effectively reducing college accessibility and affordability at a time when many families are already struggling with the daily cost of living,' Melanie Storey, president and CEO of National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement Monday. House Republicans last month passed a budget reconciliation bill backed by President Donald Trump that — among many other provisions — would alter the Pell Grant eligibility formula and increase the course hours required for full-time student designation from 24 to 30 per academic year needed for maximum grant awards. The American Council on Education called the proposed Pell changes 'crippling' and warned that some 700,000 students could lose eligibility under the bill. The measure is now under consideration in the Senate. The administration's proposed cuts to Federal Work-Study would also radically alter that program by slashing most of its funding. The fiscal 2026 budget document calls for working with Congress on changing the program to serve 'the most low-income students' and incorporate an 'appropriate split between Federal and employer wage subsidy.' Specifically, the department aims to flip the ratio of contributions from the federal government and employers. Where now the government covers up to 75% of wages and employers put in 25%, the Education Department aims to have employers paying 75% in the future. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP plan could raise credit requirements for Pell Grant recipients
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A Republican-backed proposal could bring major changes to the Pell Grant program, requiring many college students to take on heavier course loads to qualify for federal aid. Under the legislation, full-time students would need to enroll in at least 30 credit hours per year, up from the current 24, to remain eligible. Part-time students would see their requirement increase from 12 to at least 15 credit hours annually. 'It's a goal to get more students to go full time, graduate more quickly, and I think it will help some students get there,' said Robert Kelchen, an Education Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. But Kelchen also cautioned that many students might struggle to meet the new demands. 'About two-thirds of students work, and many of them are working close to full time,' he said. 'Some are balancing full-time school and full-time work. Others are taking one or two classes while working 40 hours a week and caring for their families.' Pell Grants were established by Congress in 1972 to help low-income students access higher education. Today, about 40% of U.S. college students receive the grant, which does not need to be repaid. The federal government spent approximately $31.47 billion on the program during the last academic year. Critics of the proposal, including the NAACP, warn it could disproportionately harm students of color and roll back recent gains in college access. 'What we're seeing is a really aggressive and swift attack,' said Wisdom Cole, the NAACP's National Director of Youth and College. 'About 75% of graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are Pell Grant recipients. Those are the students who will be hit the hardest.' Supporters argue the changes are necessary to ensure accountability. Madison Marino, a Higher Education Policy Expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, cited data showing that only about 53% of Pell Grant recipients complete a degree — significantly lower than the 70% to 73% completion rate for their peers. 'I think it will make students re-evaluate what educational pathways are available to them,' Marino said. 'Does a traditional four-year college fit me?' The proposal, which also redirects more financial aid toward workforce training programs, passed the House last week and is now awaiting action in the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
I-110 to close in both directions after train derails on bridge above interstate
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) will close both directions of I-110 near the Governor's Mansion curve on Friday, May 30, so crews can remove a derailed train from the railroad bridge above the interstate. DOTD said the closure is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will affect the stretch of I-110 between Capitol Access Road and North 22nd Street. According to officials, the train derailed around 1:30 p.m. and will be removed from its tracks with a crane. The lanes were closed due to falling debris but reopened as of 2:10 p.m. Friday. Officials said the contents of the train remain unknown at this time. No injuries were reported. After the train is gone, officials will inspect the bridge and road to ensure both are safe for travel. The closure will last a few hours. DOTD said they should reopen the interstate early Saturday, unless unexpected issues arise. Drivers are asked to exit the interstate before the overpass and use alternate routes. Check for the latest travel updates. Church in Baton Rouge placed on lockdown due to bear sighting 'M*A*S*H' actress Loretta Swit dies at 87 President Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office send-off I-110 to close in both directions after train derails on bridge above interstate Musk slams New York Times after report on alleged drug use GOP plan could raise credit requirements for Pell Grant recipients Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump and Harvard draw headlines, but UW is also imperiled by DOGE cuts
A funny thing happened on the way to the Trump Administration's all-out assault on the independence and productivity of American higher education. A majority of the American people decided they don't like it. An Associated Press/National Opinion Research Center poll conducted in early May found that 56% of Americans disapprove of the Republican president's approach to higher education. Six in 10 adults favor maintaining federal funding for scientific and medical research at colleges and universities while only about 3 in 10 support withholding federal funding from institutions for noncompliance with the president's goals or removing their tax-exempt status. Even Republicans are strongly divided on cutting funding to campuses that do not bow to Trump's demands. While about half are in favor, about one-quarter are opposed and a similar share are neutral. Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with government censorship that attempts to command and control what is studied and taught on our nation's campuses. The president's 'big beautiful' reconciliation bill, which narrowly passed in the House of Representatives May 22, proposes a staggering $351 billion in cuts to education and workforce programs. Almost all of that comes at the expense of low-income students and student loan borrowers. The bill would exclude one in five current Pell Grant recipients at community colleges, not Harvard, thereby disproportionately impacting low-income students and forcing hundreds of thousands out of college altogether. Opinion: As Wisconsin takes to water this spring, share your view on wake-enhanced boats The AP interviewed a 68-year-old Trump supporter who did not go to college herself, but made sure her children and grandchildren did. She worries that funding cuts will make it harder for people who need tuition aid to get an education. She sees it as the government 'getting in the way' of an educated society. She's right. The poll demonstrated that support for maintaining federal funding for scientific and medical research is bipartisan, with 75% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans in favor. They're right, too. Just look at Wisconsin. We now have 400-plus start-up companies in the state related to UW research, supporting 232,000 jobs. To highlight just one area of UW-Madison's life-saving research driven by federal funds, our scientists are working on screening for Alzheimer's with blood tests, as well as prevention therapies that would remove the plaques that cause the disease. Federally sponsored research at the UW makes vital contributions to the health of our economy and our citizens. For this boon to Wisconsin to continue, we need to attract and retain brilliant researchers here. A different poll conducted in March of this year by the journal "Nature" found that 75.3% of American scientists have been considering leaving the United States because of the disruptions to their research caused and threatened by federal funding reductions. Yet more disturbing, for early career scientists, the figure rose to 79.4%. Making America great is hardly about reversing the flight of scientists and intellectuals to this country from Europe during and after World War II. Continue to decimate the budgets of federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and we will lose both our scientists and our competitive edge. This at a time when China has announced an 8.3% increase in its research and development technology funding. Before my stint as president of the University of Wisconsin System, I served four years as chancellor of UW-Extension and four years before that as extension provost. UW-Extension then had offices in all 72 counties, as well as Wisconsin Public Broadcasting studios and reporters, and Small Business Development Centers, across the state. I spent those eight years traveling around Wisconsin, asking farmers, small business owners, and local government officials what the UW could do to improve their quality of life. Many of our fellow citizens I talked with did not have a college degree. Nevertheless, when I scratched down a little ways I found the pride they felt in the University of Wisconsin and what it was doing for their farms, their communities, their children and grandchildren. It's on you now, my Wisconsin senators, to defend the higher education system they built over many generations from the damage short-sighted federal idealogues would do to it. We need you to listen to the shifting opinions of the American people, including your Wisconsin constituents, who the AP/NORC poll shows want you to do just that. Kevin P. Reilly is president emeritus of the University of Wisconsin system. He served as president of the system from 2004 to 2013. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW system could be hit by Trump attack on higher education | Opinion
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
The 1600: A Free Idea for Democrats in 2028
The Insider's Track Good morning, If I ever run for president, I would do it on a promise to triple the number of three-day weekends in America. Think about how much more you got done over Memorial Day compared to a typical weekend... the extra time with friends and family, the extra day of leisure, the extra time to knock things off your to-do list. Who would be against just adding, like, 10 more of these to the calendar? They don't even have to be real holidays, we can do it like the Brits and create a bunch of "bank holidays" on random Mondays in the spring and summer where no one is expected to go to work. I'm not even really joking about this. The Democrats—or the third party we deserve but will never get—needs to borrow from the Trump playbook more. Say what you will about how he governs, but he's got a bunch of easy-to-understand policy ideas, like "No tax on tips" and "Build the wall." The Dems will answer that with a slogan like, "Student loan only for Pell Grant recipients who start a business that operates for three years in disadvantaged communities" (this was a real Kamala campaign pledge once upon a time.) How about instead, "Triple the three-day weekends!" Who's voting against that? I suppose we should talk about the actual news from the weekend, the headline of which is that President Trump appears to have finally gotten the message that everyone else has known for a long time: Vladimir Putin does not have any interest in ending the war in Ukraine. Days after Trump and Putin held an "excellent" two-hour call about a ceasefire, Russia unleashed its biggest offensive yet against Ukrainian cities, hitting mostly civilian targets like residential neighborhoods and college dorms. Trump responded, seemingly in shock, saying "I don't know what the hell happened to Putin" and following that up with a post saying the Russian lead "has gone absolutely CRAZY." To bastardize the great Chris Rock joke... Putin didn't go crazy. Putin went Putin! So we at least seem to be all on the same page now about Putin and Zelensky. One of them is a warmongering tyrant hellbent on expanding his borders. The other is a guy just trying to defend his country, who, let's remember, could have been on a chopper out of Kyiv three years ago but opted to stay and fight. I don't think Zelensky has always played his hand right vis a vis Trump, but don't mistake who is who in this war. So then where do we fit in? Putin is making a clear bet that by escalating the offensive on the ground, he will frustrate and anger Trump enough that the Americans will eventually cut bait entirely. Not just give up on a ceasefire, but give up on supporting the Ukrainians at all. No more money or weapons, make it the Europeans' problem. That's the play from Moscow. People around Trump, including the real isolationists like Vance, are going to push for this. It's not our circus, we can't afford it, we're not the world's police anymore, etc. Russia and China are both counting on this outcome. My one hope left is that Trump's got this minerals deal in hand now, which puts a little skin in the game for him. He's not going to want to see that deal fall apart by walking away, right? The Rundown President Donald Trump's pledge to end the war in Ukraine through swift negotiations has shaped the GOP's foreign policy since his return to office in January. But now, the president appears to be losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks in years—killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more—Trump turned sharply on Putin, saying he's "not happy with what Putin is doing," and accusing him of "killing a lot of people." Read the story. Also happening: Trump-Harvard: The Trump Administration is canceling all federal contracts with Harvard amid its escalating dispute with the elite college, according to a New York Times report. The General Services Administration is due to deliver a letter to federal agencies on Tuesday with the instruction, the report said; the contracts are worth around $100 million. Read more. The Trump Administration is canceling all federal contracts with Harvard amid its escalating dispute with the elite college, according to a New York Times report. The General Services Administration is due to deliver a letter to federal agencies on Tuesday with the instruction, the report said; the contracts are worth around $100 million. Read more. Trump gains with young voters: More than 100 days into President Donald Trump's second term, a surprising trend is emerging: growing support from young adults. Experts told Newsweek that this is driven less by enthusiasm for Trump's agenda than by deep frustration with the economy, political institutions, and the direction of the country. Read the story. This is a preview of The 1600—Tap here to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
