University Business - April 2006 - (Page 23)

ON THE HILL New Grant Program Could Mean A New Headache The higher ed community expects complications in trying to make the program work. By Alan Dessoff A L A S T M I N U T E ADDITION to legislation Congress enacted in February to trim the federal defi- cit provides what could turn out to be a significant new headache for college and university financial aid administrators. In addition to $12.7 billion in student loan cuts that lawmakers agreed to ear- lier, the measure the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 establishes a new program of academic competitiveness grants. To begin July 1 this year and expire at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year, it will kick off without any rules, regulations, or other guidance as to how it should actu- ally work. While the program is a welcome development, ... it is The program provides grants to low- income, full-time college students who are hard to imagine a more complicated way to go about it. U.S. citizens, eligible for a Pell Grant, and Terry Hartle, American Council on Education meet federally specified criteria regarding academic performance. Because it is an ages and major fields of study will be fac- a state or local education agency and rec- entitlement program, students will be cer- tored into the Pell Grant process; whether ognized as such by the Secretary of Edu- tain to get the funding. students who attend college part-time one cation, will receive a $750 grant. As explained by American Council on term and full-time the next will be eligi- Students in their second academic year Education ACE President David Ward ble for a grant; and how students will be who completed the rigorous secondary in a letter to other postsecondary asso- treated at colleges that do not calculate school program and achieved a 3.0 grade ciation presidents in Washington, a grant grade-point averages. Also unclear is what point average in their first year of college earned in either the first or second year foreign languages will qualify as critical to will receive a $1,300 grant. of college will be known as an Academic national security. Students in their third or fourth year of Competitiveness Grant. An award in A key issue for secondary school ad- an academic program majoring in math, the third or fourth year, meanwhile, will ministrators is what a rigorous program science, technology, engineering, or a for- be called a National Science and Math- of study will be or what will be required so eign language that is critical to national ematics Access to Retain Talent Grant, or that the U.S. Education Secretary, currently security who have earned a 3.0 grade National SMART Grant. Margaret Spellings, will recognize it. point average will receive an annual grant Students enrolled for the first time in of $4,000. their first year of college, or who have been Undefined so far, however, is how the accepted for enrollment, and who have Alan Dessoff is a former reporter for The Wash- program will work in practice. Unanswered successfully completed a rigorous second- i n g t o n Post and a freelance writer based in questions include: how grade-point aver- ary school program of study established by Bethesda, Md. www.universitybusiness.com April 2006 | 23 32 ddni.HTO MP 34:65:1 60/72/3 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2006

Table of Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
People Watch
Sense of Place
On the Hill
Viewpoint
Future Shock
Financial Aid
Admissions
COVER STORY: Averting Housing Havoc
The Art of Reputation Building
Web Conferencing: Rich Media on the Desktop
All Rights Preserved
Admissions Messages vs. Admissions Realities
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - April 2006