States cut aid to college students as demand booms

[WriteDown]

Source: AP

MADISON, Wis. – Struggling with budget shortfalls that reach into the billions, several states are making deep cuts in college financial aid programs, including those that provide a vital source of cash for students who most need the money.

At least a dozen states are reducing award sizes, eliminating grants and tightening eligibility guidelines because of a lack of money. At the same time, the number of students seeking aid is rising sharply as more people seek a college education and need help paying the tuition bill because they or their parents lost jobs and savings during the recession.

Many of the affected programs are need-based grants that provide money that complements financial aid offered by schools and the federal government. Without that cash, some students may be forced to drop out, transfer to cheaper schools or simply have less money available for rent and groceries. Experts fear others will take on too much debt or spend even more time working as they pursue a degree.

"There's almost no question the folks coming in are probably going to have much more difficulty getting by year to year in college and staying enrolled as a result," said Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on financial aid. "The safety net is falling away."...

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090812/ap_on_re_us/us_financial_aid_states

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Just great.

[OhioChick]

1. K&R n/t

[Jkid]

2. Up next for single-payer consideration after health care

Universal free higher education. (As it was done in the UK before Blair). If you think the health care debate is bad, just wait until you see the opposition from the private universities.

[laureloak]

3. College expenses are such a reach for us already.

Thankfully, our state grant for private college was only reduced by $1,000.

Why can't we have free college like Europe?

[OhioChick]

4. I talk to many people from various countries...

They're floored when the cost of a college education is brought up here in the US. Most either don't pay a dime, or very, very little.

[Deja Q]

5. It's simply outrageous.

(the cost of higher education)

[Libertas1776]

6. Hooray!

Just screw the American student even further. Then, after four years, and tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and if they don't plan on continuing to grad school to put themselves in another tens of thousands in debt, they lose their health insurance (which is the case for most still surviving on their parents plan) It shouldn't be the norm that students have to go without health care just to get an education.

[4_TN_TITANS]

7. College degree = good paying job

has been a pipe dream for a long time now. I spent years not being able to do better than $8.00 / hr. after a five year degree. After figuring out how to apply my English degree to private business I've done better, but it was a road of hard knocks.

[KakistocracyHater]

8. spending on endless war is fine, but cut education They say what you

protect in a crisis reveals your true values, this says alot about our leaders, people who don't have to pass any test to become senators or house reps or county supervisors-except for popularity. I am not trying to sneak in a religious test, I want a psychological profile of each candidate to be mandatory & publicly available to all potential voters, for a start.