The possibility of Congress cutting funding for the national Pell Grant program dominated discussions last week at the annual convention of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Boston. From general sessions to committee meetings, finding ways to dissuade lawmakers from reducing Pell Grants was a major topic.
Pell Grants are usually part of a larger financial aid package for students, including athletes. They can be particularly important to athletes in sports outside of football and basketball where full scholarships are not typically awarded.
The program, begun more than 30 years ago to help make college more accessible to low-income students, awarded more than 8 million students nearly $30 billion in aid in 2009-10. Grants are awarded on a need basis with the current annual limit of $5,500. The Department of Education estimated that 76% of those recipients had a total family income at or below $30,000.
A budget passed this year by the House of Representatives would cut the maximum grant by 45% and restrict eligibility by 1.5 million students.
Athletic departments large and small would feel the pain of grant reductions.