Education funding in flux

Contrasting versions of bills that would fund student scholarships and other university programs now lie before the two houses of Congress, and discussions to resolve the differences are expected to be intense.

An amendment to the Senate’s budget proposal proposed by Sen. Edward Kennedy and passed March 17 would raise the maximum Pell Grant award by $450 to $4,500 and restore funding for the Perkins Loan Program, under which schools can lend students money at low interest rates.

The Massachusetts Democrat’s $5.4 billion amendment also supports federal programs such as Gear Up, Leap and Upward Bound that are in danger of being slashed.

Students’ efforts helped the amendment pass, said Becky Timmons, director of government relations for the American Council on Education.

“We organized students to e-mail their senators and ask them to support,” she said. “Students continue putting pressure on their representatives, making higher education as the priority for them.”

By contrast, the resolution now before the House directs congressional leaders to cut $21.4 billion in five years from all mandatory programs they oversee — including Guaranteed Student Loans and Perkins Loans — and to devote an unspecified portion of the savings to reducing the $400 billion federal budget deficit.

“(The House resolution) is no good news for students,”

Timmons said. “Some conservatives in the House even want more cuts than the current House proposal.”

Senators passed Kennedy’s resolution by a 51-49 vote. Six Republican senators joined all 45 Democrats in voting for it.

A number of Democrats and Republicans alike see the value in education, said Ajita Talwalker, president of the U.S. Student Association. “I really believe this is because elected officials respond to their constituents,” she said. “This is a step in the right direction, and I’m sure students will see the benefit of this change.”

But Barry Toiv, spokesman for the Association of American Universities, said the six Republicans’ support was not surprising because higher education historically is a bipartisan issue.

“It’s a little bit unusual in the current atmosphere, but we appreciate their support,” he added.

The House and Senate eventually will have to meet in conference committees to reconcile the resolutions before they begin working on the actual federal budget.

It is hard to predict which proposal will prevail, Toiv said.

“Whether the House is willing to go along is very much open to question,” he said. “Leaders in the House do not intend to give in.”

Talwalker said that there will be an intense discussion, and that constituents shouldn’t stop supporting higher education funding vocally.

“It is very important for students and the whole community to be very vocal about making sure the funding is generating support for this,” she added.

Timmons said her organization is working hard to support Kennedy’s amendment — adding that North Carolina’s senators, Republicans Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, did not support the proposal.

“It would be useful to have students from North Carolina asking their legislators for support,” she said. “We have a large deficit and the budget is tight, but it’s unfair for students to feel so much pain from the deficit.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.