National budget cuts could have effect on Trinity

Federal Pell in danger due to government cutbacks, could affect Trinity students

by Maddie Rau

Students across the country may soon be affected by the enactment of federal Pell Grant cutbacks, which would render over 1.7 million students ineligible for need-based grants. No school is immune to this cut if passed, and it would directly affect over 330 Trinity students.

Director of Financial Aid Glendi Gaddis described how Trinity is responding to the potential cuts to both the Pell Grant and other federal and state grants.

“Financing student education is kind of like a partnership — between what the student and family bring, what the university can contribute, federal aid state sources and private players in financing education,” Gaddis said. “In the last several years, all those sources have been a bit strained, and no one has been immune to that. Essentially federal and state aid sources are now under attack.”

Gaddis explained how this could directly and significantly impact Trinity students.

“We currently have 332 students who are affected by the Pell grant, worth $1.2 million worth of funding. (The Pell Grant) is the signature grant program of federal student aid, and it goes to the neediest of families. Cutting this aid could mean for some that they don’t go to school because they don’t have the resources,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis said that over the past month, Dennis Ahlburg, president of the university, has remained committed and involved in discussions about the potential reduction or elimination of these programs.

“The reality is that the university has finite resources, and is not immune from the recession. It is highly unlikely that the university could completely step in and fill the gap,” Gaddis said. “But the fact that there is concern at an executive council level is a very positive thing.”

Gaddis explained that the federal government ultimately holds the power over determining how Pell Grants are allocated to students and how much each student can receive. This past January, the federal Department of Education issued a 2011/12 Pell Grant table that generates eligibility indexes, but that could change.

“We could be in a situation where we have to adjust (the amount of aid), but we will do what we can to help mitigate reductions,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis added that this could have a negative effect on Trinity’s relationship with prospective students who may feel pressure if the Pell Grant is cut.

“It is concerning to me that those (dependent on the Pell Grant) may feel that this kind of educational experience isn’t an option for them now, which is unfortunate. Socioeconomic diversity is an important aspect and if these families make this decision before they apply, we can’t explore other options,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis expressed her concern that the growth in federal aid programs recently has been in loans, as opposed to grants.

“I think there’s a balance to be had on the level of loan debt for education. I also find it contradictory when Obama talks about the importance of education and then cuts programs that help that happen,” Gaddis said. “When we know we need an educated society, it seems inconsistent to do this.”

Gaddis ended by emphasizing that the staff at the Department of Financial Aid is facing challenges that are largely outside of their control.

“As representatives of Trinity, (the Financial Aid staff) is trying to do their best under the circumstances. Unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball to tell us the future,” Gaddis said.

Senior Ryan Luby, political science major, voiced his opinion on the matter of budget cuts regarding higher education.

“A potential problem I see with reducing the Pell Grant and financial aid further is that it runs the risk of reducing Trinity’s intellectual diversity,” Luby said.

Luby added that he can understand the government’s need to reduce expenses in the short term. While he agrees with the initial premise, he disagrees as to which programs should be targeted.

“Cutting money from education ultimately hurts the economy in the long run because the work force will be less competitive in an increasingly globalized, skill-driven global economy,” Luby said.

Luby said that no matter how we look at the matter, expenses need to be reduced somewhere. However, he sees the potential for cutbacks in places other than education.

“I think when it comes to cutting costs, fundamental restructuring of unsustainable programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security should take first priority,” Luby said.

David Crockett, associate professor of political science, questions the political feasibility of such a prospect.

“Politically, there is a lot of stuff still to be done. I don’t know that I see much of this effort being passed through Congress right now, as there is a wide gap between the Republican House and Democratic Senate and president,” Crockett said. “It may take a government shutdown to figure out how to compromise and what to compromise on. It takes both houses of Congress to tango.”

Crockett believes it is important for people to be able to go to college and be successful, and Pell Grants are one way to help some who otherwise could not afford an education. However, he said, that doesn’t mean that there is only one educational option, including Trinity.

“Seeking a more fiscally responsible government may mean making some tough decisions about these options,” Crockett said.

He proposed a systematic and comprehensive reevaluation of how the government spends from all angles.

“From a policy perspective, I would not want to balance the budget solely on the backs of students — it is only fair to reconsider all programs,” Crockett said. “There is not enough money to balance the budget and avoid middle class entitlements, like Medicare and Social Security, which is where a lot of the dollars are.”

Crockett adds that we should have a society that makes it possible for people to go to college.

“As a general matter we can’t pass a fiscally sane budget just by hammering Pell Grants. It should be part of a larger conversation about all the things the federal government does,” Crockett said.