CTB: Need-based grant aid for higher education is essential for student success

In recent weeks, preliminary federal budget proposals put forth by GOP legislative and executive branch stakeholders have signaled an intention to cut need-based funding for higher education, both by increasing the difficulty of accessing aid (by increasing credit requirements for Pell grants) and eliminating programs altogether (including the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program, known as SEOG), in the name of efficiency and cost-savings.

As an organization dedicated to providing high-quality postsecondary opportunities for students from low-wealth backgrounds, CTB strongly urges leaders in both Congress and the White House not to make these cuts and instead to maintain (or increase) current levels of funding for both the Pell grant and the SEOG. Both of these programs represent targeted, means-tested investments in student success that allow for high-quality, highly efficient postsecondary programs like the CTB model to be implemented effectively.

When taking into account the impact of these programs on the postsecondary attainment and earnings outcomes of graduates of programs like those offered at CTB colleges, cutting programs like Pell and SEOG can only be considered “efficient” or “cost saving” in the shortest of time frames. Both Pell and SEOG are modest short-term investments that promote significant long-term gain—for grant recipients, their families and communities, and our nation as a whole.

To learn more about the impact of the proposed cuts, CTB recommends following The Institute for College Access and Success’s media website: https://ticas.org/news/.