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Posted February 28, 2007
California community college students could be getting some financial help from Congress through a measure that would enable students to
qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award in spite of California's low
student fees.
Currently, the formula for calculating individual Pell Grants is tied
to a student's tuition. With fees for California residents now at $20
per unit, students cannot qualify for the maximum Pell award.
On Tuesday, members of the House of Representatives approved HR 990,
the Pell Grant Equity Act, which eliminates the "tuition sensitivity"
provision, ensuring students eligibility for the full amount of federal
aid. The measure now moves to the Senate.
Approximately 260,000 California community college students receive
Pell Grants.
Eliminating the tuition sensitivity provision would be a temporary fix,
however. The bill only covers the 2007-08 academic year.
Representatives Howard "Buck" McKeon of Santa Clarita and George Miller
introduced HR 990 earlier this month.
