Stimulus Bill Includes Boost in Pell Grants

Standards

I agree the schools and guidance need to do more to prepare our children for the real world of college or maybe not college. Maybe a trade school. Honestly some people are more mechanically inclined as is my son and some are more academically inclined.

I think it is great! Wow, the government is actually considering giving money to low income college students rather than corrupt Wall Street banks or General Motors or any other multibillion dollar company who have been taking advantage of our weak economic situation. How can anyone have anything bad to say about disadvantaged people wanting to continue their education? Maybe you are scared that there are brighter people who if given the chance to obtain a degree may take your job. Maybe you want to keep people repressed to assure maxium capital off of them. idk.

and on to people being employed thousands of miles away from the U.S.A., there is a thing called out souring. yes, it is much cheaper for our businesses to employ people in third world counteries rather than comply with the rules and regulations our government have implamented. it is not because they hold higher degrees than someone is the U.S. if that were the case we wouldn't have so many fourners going to college in the U.S.

It is what it is.

It's seems amazing that some people still don't understand the importance of education. If you don't want higher education, fine. Also, don't be surprised when you don't seek a higher education, that a few other billion people are available to take most of the jobs you will qualify for. Yeah right, 15 billion spent in education won't help the economy? There's a very good reason we employ people thousands of miles away from the U.S.A. - These workers have sought higher education. Why are jobs hard to find?

Low wage College Student

I understand that every one has an opinion on the Pell Grants that are awarded. I am one of those who receives them. I am a person of low income. I am greatful for the Pell Grant as well as any State grant that I can get. I hold a 4.0 G.P.A. This is my way of showing the government my gratitude for all they have done for me. It is my responsibility to give back the opportunities that were given to me. I would not have been able to go back to school without these grants. I also would like to state we often times are unable to get loans and can not afford to even if we could. So telling every one to suck it up and get a loan is unfair. I am glad that you can afford a loan becuase I am now just getting a budget vack from the gas crisis.

Increase to Pell Grants

Suggest that Pell Grants are used for the first 2 years of college ONLY to give low income families a chance. The remaining successful students should take student loans like the rest of the population. People who take grants should have national service to complete as well.

RE: Standards

Actually there is federal aid that rewards good academic records and "mathematically-oriented" majors. I am an Electrical Engineering major and this next year will receive a federal grant that is only available to Pell grant recipients called SMART -Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent. It stipulates full-time enrollment, 3.0 GPA and upper-division standing. Hope this helps you sleep better about how your tax dollars are being spent :)

Standards

We need to increase standards for the receipt of federal fiancial aid. Unless a student is undertaking an extremely difficult mathematically-oriented major, I think the 2.0 standard for aid is way too low. It ought to be raised to 2.5. Furthermore, subsidizing interest on students beyond eight semesters is not an efficient use of taxpayer resources. We should also use federal aid to reward good academic records and fields that are critically needed.

I will also say that we have failed in secondary school to prepare many kids for college. Some guidance counselors often fail to give much guidance and are more interested in the number going for a four year degree at graduation. In high school and elementary school, we need to do a better job of increasing the academic rigor, providing at-risk kids in inner cities more opportunities to get something basic (which sadly, they don't even get that), and better quality overall. No Child Left Behind has some merit in increasing standards, but has broadly failed our kids so far. Testing is proper to some degree, but more needs to be done at a more basic level.

The marginal benefit to society of having one additional kid from the inner city saved from gangs and poverty and who has attained the capacity and interest to learn a skill or to go on to college is a lot greater than subsidizing college for a person without a plan for the degree. I will also say that it is sometimes proper (and for the kid in question more interesting or fun) to encourage kids to go for post secondary technical training rather than college. If kids are given rigor early on and are able to explore different career options, there is less of a need for the four year degree. Furthermore, some who attain the four year degree do it in a very blind way.

Here in America, we need to stop making school -- pre school through grad school in some cases -- a holding place for kids. We also need to use tax money wisely and put it where it will have the greatest impact!