This story was written by Haley Smith and Quintin Ellison, originally published in The Sylva Herald.
Financial aid information flyers.
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget spares the nation’s most significant source of student financial aid, but would downsize or eliminate other programs intended to help low-income college students.
The federal Pell Grant Program stays relatively intact under the financial proposal for fiscal year 2017-18. The president’s budget contains a $3.9 billion decrease that’s sliced from a $10.6 billion surplus.
Many Western Carolina University students depend on Pell Grant dollars to help fund their education. About 42.57 percent of WCU’s undergraduate population, 3,755 students, received this form of financial help in 2015-16, according to WCU Financial Aid Director Trina Orr.
But, preserving the Pell Grant program could come at the expense of other student assistance.
Trump’s budget would lead to a significant reduction in the Federal Work-Study Program.
In 2015-16, there were 323 WCU undergraduate and graduate students participating in Work Study, according to the university’s financial aid office. The program provides students needed part-time work, said Kayla Minion, a 22-year-old WCU senior.
“Some students have to work, and the program is the only thing that works with their schedule,” she said. “A lot of people, just to get paid close to what you get paid at a normal job, work multiple work-study jobs.”
New America, a nonpartisan Washington think tank, criticizes Work Study for disproportionately benefiting private nonprofit institutions. Nationwide, on average, nearly two-thirds of Work Study undergraduate students are from families who have incomes above $30,000, according to a New America analysis.
The think tank recommends that rather than downsizing the program, Trump better target those students who are likely to benefit.
“Reallocating the work-study allocation makes sense; cutting it significantly does not,” New America said.
“Studies have shown students receiving Work Study are more likely to graduate and be employed after graduation. And these positive effects are larger for low-income students who attend public institutions.”
Trump’s budget, if passed in its current form, would completely eliminate the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant Program. These grants are given to low-income undergraduate students, and those receiving federal Pell Grants are given priority.
In 2015-16, some 227 WCU undergraduate students relied on the supplemental-grant program to help fund their education.
The budget describes the program as “less well-targeted.” Elimination would “reduce complexity in financial student aid and save $732 million,” according to the president’s proposal.
“I’m a student whose entire career is paid for by my student loans, anything I get that helps counts by a huge margin,” WCU junior Alec Simkiss said.
If the president’s budget is adopted, the 21-year-old said he might be forced to drop out of school.
“My parents teeter pretty close to the poverty line, and they both work fulltime,” Simkiss said.
The college-access programs TRIO and GEAR UP would experience steep funding cuts.
The programs provide grants to nonprofits, institutions and other organizations to support low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.
TRIO programs stand to lose about $896 million this year and $808 million the next.
GEAR UP would drop from $321 million to $219 million in overall funding.
Locally, TRIO dollars flow through Project Discovery-Talent Search at WCU.
Last week, Director Todd Murdock joined about 700 TRIO workers and alumni in Washington, D.C., for a lobbying effort.
“As far as bang for your buck goes, we are a cheap date,” Murdock said Tuesday.
TRIO serves 767 students in 14 schools in six counties, including Jackson.
The program spends $480 per student per year to prepare those in grades 7-12 for college. These mainly low-income participants receive a range of services, including tutoring, help applying for financial aid and advice on which classes are needed if college bound.
GEAR UP is currently offered in Swain, Graham and Clay counties, but not Jackson, Murdock said.
