NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2005 FINANCIAL AID
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A
Bill could cost students financial aid
BY JOHN JORDAN
jfordan@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Members of a student lobbying group have been pressing to halt the passage of legislation through Congress that they say could cut many students off from financial aid.
The bill doesn't have an amendment that could have generated $12 billion in aid for students, Bender said. That money could be sent to different projects.
Josh Bender, president of the Student Legislation Awareness Board, SLAB, has been working to make students aware of a part of the Higher Education Act that he said would cut billions from financial aid for students.
Bender is trying to get students to write to their congressmen to tell them how important financial aid is to students and to vote against the act. The Senate education committee working on the act was focused on moving money to funding for vocational and technical training, said Craig Orfield, spokesman for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
The act will be presented before the House of Representatives and the Senate in different forms.
He said he believed additional money from unforeseen savings in the budget could add money to grant programs. The bill still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and changes could still be made. Orfield said that after that process is complete, additional funds could be found.
The effect on college aid will be seen when a final version of the bill is available. Orfield said.
POSSIBLE EFFECTS
These are some of the changes in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act currently Before the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate
Last year, the University had 8,279 students with direct loans
The art keeps interest rates for student loans capped at 9.25 percent instead of lowering the rates to 6.8 percent
- The act does not include the Student AID Reward Act, which could add $12 billion in additional income.
♦ The act limits Pell Grant loans to a maximum amount of $5,800 for the next six years.
and 3,144 students with Pell Grants, according to University records. Those two programs gave $43 million to students. The grants and loans could both be affected by the act. Bender said.
Source: The States Public Interest Research Groups
Stephanie Covington, associate director of office of student financial aid, said increases in interests rates could cost students $1,800 if interest rates aren't lowered, like Congress agreed to do in 2001.
SLAB has been urging student senators to write to their congressmen for two weeks. Nathan Ladd, Effingham senior and College of Liberal Arts senator, said students might not know how letters affect congressmen.
She also said that interest rates have been lower than the maximum in recent years.
"The letter-writing campaign is a whole lot more important than you think," Ladd said to members of Student Senate Wednesday.
— Edited by Erick R. Schmidt
BY JOHN JORDAN
jjordan@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Education act could divert funds for aid
▼ HURRICANE KATRINA
The U.S. Senate education committee amended the Higher Education Act last week to include a donation to Hurricane Katrina victims.
The proposed $12.5 billion donation would take funds from budget cuts and increased student loan fees. Craig Orfield, a spokesman for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said giving
"We have to go to take care of these students with this unprecedented bill." Orfield said.
aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina was important, especially to displaced students.
The proposal was passed in the committee last week as part of the Higher Education Act reauthorization legislation, Congress has not voted on it. Gorkem Sevinc, Nicosia, Cyprus, junior, said the government shouldn't be spending money for education on relief.
"The hurricane is a bad thing,
everyone knows that," Sevinc said, "but I believe that money from education should go to people being educated."
Sevince said he thought the money could go specifically to student aid for hurricane victims in college.
He said he had a friend from Tulane University that had to transfer to Washington University in St. Louis.The family had to pay extra for an apartment and tuition there.
Andrew Shaw, a legislative assistant for Rep. Dennis Moore,
D-Kan., said Moore couldn't comment on the legislation until he had seen the specific bill. Shaw said Congress had been working on streamlining the budget; cuts made would provide the extra money for the donation.
Shaw said Rep. Moore was concerned about cuts from the Higher Education Act.
Edited by Theresa Montaño
"There's been concern with keeping levels of aid consistent with the rising levels of tuition," Shaw said.
Threads bared
Framed by a loom, Andrew Shirk, Wichita senior, works on an assignment for his Weaving Structures class. Shirk and other students spent last night at the Art and Design building finishing projects for class.
Jared Soares/KANSAN
ON THE RECORD
An employee of City Wide Security reported $645 in valuables stolen from a vehicle sometime between midnight and 1:30 a.m. Sept. 17 at the 1500 block of Sigma Nu Place.
- An employee of City Wide Security reported a $150 Playstation 2 stolen sometime between 5 p.m. Sept. 16 and 7 a.m. Sept. 17 at the 1500 block of Sigma Nu Place.
A 19-year-old KU student reported a $813 loss from a
12:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 17.
A 20-year-old KU student reported $500 in damage to a windshield of an Acura sometime between
criminal use of a credit card sometime between noon and 2:18 p.m.Sept. 12 in Lawrence.
A 21-year-old KU student reported a $500 loss from a criminal use of a credit card sometime between 8 a.m. Sept. 10 and 4:52 p.m. Sept. 16 in Lawrence.
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
CIVIC LITERACY WEEK Tuesday 20th
- Jubilee Cafe @ 6am First United Methodist Church of Lawrence sponsored by the Center for Community Outreach
*Coach Carter Lecture
September 20, 2005
Presented by SUA @ 8pm
*SL AR's Pizza & Politic
funded by:
SUBMIT
SENATE
sponsored by Dole Institute of Politics
*Student Senate Committee Meetings Open to everyone, 6:30pm
KU CULINARY CLUB
PAID FOR BY KU
MEDITERRANEAN NIGHT
Looking for a good lunch on campus?
Wednesday, Sept. 21st
11:30-1:30
Wescoe Beach
$2 Falafel
TONIGHT 7-9PM|ECM KITCHEN Sponsored by Coca-Cola
- Information on the KU Hillel Foundation
American Business Women's Association
Start climbing the ladder to success
Career Fair Workshop September 20th Tuesday 7:00pm Summerfield Room 127
Check out our Web site for more information:
at www.kuwaiu.edu/~kuwabe or email kuwabe@ku.edu
(BLEED CRIMSON)
FALL SEPTEMBER 26 - 30
BLOOD
MONDAY, SEPT. 26
Kansas Union Ballroom, 11 am - 5 pm
McCollum Hall, 1 - 7 pm
Student Rec. Center,
Blood Vessel Bus, 11 am - 5 pm
TUESDAY, SEPT. 27
Kansas Union Ballroom, 11 am - 5 pm
McCollum Hall, 1 - 7 pm
Student Rec. Center,
Blood Vessel Bus, 11 am - 5 pm
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28
Corbin Hall, 1 - 7 pm
Student Rec. Center, 11 am - 5 pm
Kansas Union,
Blood Vessel Bus, 11 am - 5 pm
DRIVE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 20
Kansas Union Ballroom, 11 am - 5 pm
Student Rec. Center, 11 am - 5 pm
Kansas Union,
Blood Vessel Bus, 11 am - 5 pm
PANHELLENIC
AURH
NAVY ROTC
KU STUDENT SENATE
KU ALUMNI ASSOC.
IFC
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
ASHC
KUAC
FRIDAY, SEPT. 30
FRIDAY, SEPT. 30
Kansas Union Ballroom, 11 am - 5 pm
Student Rec. Center, 10 am - 3 pm
Kansas Union
Blood Vessel Bus, 11 am - 5 pm
Community Blood Center
BLOOD LIFE, DIVISION
Sign up to save lives at www.kublooddrive.com
Everyone who comes in to donate will receive a FREE KU T-shirt and goody bag!