Advocate Online
From Capitol to Campus
With the presidential
election a few weeks away,
let’s take a look at what it means
for higher education. The two major candidates have distinctly different
views on funding higher education.
Senator John Kerry will make college more
accessible with his College Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $4,000 of
higher education spending every year for four years. He would also increase
spending on Pell Grants.
Four years ago, President George W. Bush
promised to fund the Pell Grant program fully for first-year students
and increase the maximum grant to $5,100. Instead, in his 2005 budget,
he has proposed freezing the maximum Pell Grant at $4,050 for the third
consecutive year.
Bush also cut $100 million from the Perkins
loan programs and supports a proposal for student loan consolidations
that would cost the average borrower $3,115 over 10 years.
As President, Kerry will offer states
$10 billion to invest in their public colleges and universities if they
hold tuitions in line with inflation.
Bush has been silent on funding for colleges
and universities during his term in office. Now, in an election-year promise,
he proposes providing $125 million to community colleges that allow high
school students to earn college credit.
Kerry has also proposed holding student
loan auctions and using the $14 billion in yearly savings to expand the
AmeriCorps national-service program to 500,000 participants annually within
a decade.
And please, register, volunteer and vote
on November 2!
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