February 5, 2007
For more information, contact:
David Hawkins, Director of Public Policy
(703) 836-2222 x109
Alexandria, VA – While President Bush has proposed an increase to the maximum Pell grant, his budget eliminates equally important programs that support college access and diverts funding from programs that work to programs that are politically divisive or that lack a track record of success in helping students, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
"Suggesting an increase in need-based financial aid like the Pell grant is an important part of improving college access,” noted Mary Lee Hoganson, NACAC President. “However, reducing or eliminating funding from proven programs, like the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), LEAP, and the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP), to achieve a Pell increase is the budget equivalent of robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
NACAC’s federal policy agenda suggests increased funding for a range of programs that help students prepare for postsecondary education, including (1) equitable support for access to a college preparatory curriculum for all students, (2) access to college information and counseling, and (3) need-based financial aid. NACAC opposes efforts to reduce funding for programs that address one priority for the sake of increasing another. NACAC is also opposed to the allocation of scarce federal education dollars to support private school vouchers, as the administration’s proposal suggests.
NACAC’s recommendations for federal financial aid include an increase in the maximum Pell grant to $5,100, $500 more than the administration’s request, for fiscal year 2008. The maximum Pell grant has not kept pace with inflation since its inception, a trend worsened by Congress’ ‘flat funding’ of the Pell maximum for four years. The original (1975-76) $1,400 Pell grant maximum, had it kept pace with inflation, would have been worth $5,250 in 2006.[1] NACAC opposes the elimination of SEOG and LEAP to achieve the proposed increase in the maximum Pell grant.
NACAC will present its spending recommendations to Congress in anticipation of the appropriations process for fiscal 2008. NACAC’s recommendations for federal financial aid programs were developed in conjunction with the Student Aid Alliance, an alliance of more than 60 organizations and associations committed to supporting access to postsecondary education.
About NACAC
NACAC is an Alexandria, VA-based education association of more than 9,800 secondary school counselors, independent counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, and organizations that work with students as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The association, founded in 1937, is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice. More information about NACAC is available at www.nacacnet.org.