More Threats To Pell

Higher education advocate at U.S. PIRG, Rich Williams, has written an frightening piece for USA Today about Pell. It is at even greater risk of being eviscerated than previously thought. Neoliberals want us to believe that 'austerity measures' are necessary to 'save' the country from falling apart, but they are feeding the public with lies. At a time when Pell and other 'entitlement' programs should be supported and increased, woefully out of touch and I can only assume economically ignorant lawmakers are pushing for the exact opposite. 

Here's a snippet:

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved austerity measures that expose this same generation to potentially unsustainable debt right now through increased student loans.

The tradeoff promises to not only undermine individual and national prosperity, but also make it less likely that the country will have the resources to meet its obligations in the years to come. Controlling our national debt is not, as they say, an academic exercise. Deficit reduction, like education policy, should focus on ensuring a stable and sustainable economy. If that is the goal, cutting funding to higher education and job training programs is the wrong approach.

I encourage you to read the piece in its entirety here. 

Related Links

"Save Pell," AEM (July 16, 2011)

"Point/Counter Point - Pell Grants," AEM (May 25, 2011)

Image Credit: Angelo Lopez