Don't cut Pell grants for part-time students
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The House-passed bill would only give the maximum Pell grant to students taking 15 credits a semester (generally five classes). Students attending school less than half-time, who are earning less than 7.5 credits, would not be eligible for any Pell money.
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The change would disproportionately affect students at community colleges and other two-year institutions. According to the
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At Northern Essex Community College, President Lane Glenn said two-thirds of students attend part-time and the most common number of credits taken in a semester is six. 'Students tend to be older, not just out of high school, and they're balancing jobs and families with going to school,' Glenn said.
The
What the shift would mean practically for Massachusetts' community college students would be up to state policy makers. Massachusetts this year started offering universal free community college. But the state has a 'last-dollar' program, which means students must first apply for federal financial aid, then the state covers any remaining cost.
If the federal government cuts aid amounts, the Legislature and governor will have to decide whether to replace the federal funding with state money — a large expense for state taxpayers — or to change the eligibility for free community college by aligning it with federal funding standards. If they choose the latter route, students currently taking just two courses a semester would have to either push themselves to take more credits, pay for school themselves, or drop out.
'A change in a law isn't going to change their ability to spend more hours studying,' said David Baime, senior vice president for government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges. 'We think this would force many [students] to stop attending our institutions.'
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This isn't just a Massachusetts or a blue state issue. Around
According to the
Changing the threshold for the maximum grant from 12 credits a semester to 15 credits a semester would result in about half of current Pell enrollees receiving smaller grants, according to the CBO. Those two provisions combined are
In a separate budget bill, Trump
One rationale for the policy shift is that
But there's no evidence that cutting aid for a student who is working or caring for a child or aging parent will get them to take more classes, rather than force them to drop out altogether. If they do drop out, that has long-term implications for both the student and the workforce.
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The main motivation for the Pell changes appears to simply be cost-cutting, at the expense of those students who need the money the most. The Senate should reject these proposals.
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