The Federal Pell Grant Program, which provided need-based aid to 3,680 University of Oregon students last year, will be accessible to almost 7,000 additional students by 2012 under a new law signed late last month by President George W. Bush.
Additionally, more than 62,000 students in Oregon currently receiving aid through the federal program

will see an increase during the next five years. The maximum individual grant will climb $1,090, bringing total state aid to more than $350 million.
“For University of Oregon students it means … for needy students there will be more grant money,” said Elizabeth Bickford, director of student financial aid. “More needy students will believe that college is possible.”
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 will also slash interest rates in half, bringing the rate to 3.4 percent.
The act will not be fully implemented until 2012, when the gradual phase-in is completed. Students currently receiving aid through the Pell Grant, however, will see a slight increase immediately.
“College will be a bit more affordable for tens of thousands of Oregon students. And it won’t hurt as much when you start paying back those loans,” said Jillian Schoene, communications director for the office of Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., a member of the national House Education Committee and appointed member of the Act’s conference committee. Schoene said the bill was about restoring the federal commitment to higher education.
“We decided to reprioritize federal tax dollars to focus on students,” she said.
The United States Student Association, the parent organization of the Oregon Student Association, advocates on behalf of students nationwide. The USSA supported and lobbied for the act.
“It expands access for people pretty much across the board … who are currently being priced out of an education because of rising tuition across the country,” said Stacy Umezu, USSA communications and technology coordinator. “(Students) are graduating with more debt, but it’s also taking them longer to pay back their debt (because of loan interest).”
While the state legislature did allocate $868 million to higher education in its last session – a significant reinvestment – it is unclear whether this federal investment will lead to continued state support.
“Just because the federal government does something doesn’t necessarily mean the state government is going to follow,” Schoene said. “Oregon colleges are more expensive than, say, the state of Washington or California, and we need to be making that commitment at all levels.”
The legislation will be funded by reducing federal subsidies to college loan industry lenders by $19 billion.
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