The good news is that the federal government’s financial support for low-income undergraduate students (Pell Grants) remains in place under President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal. The bad news is that Trump has reduced the program funding by a whopping $3.9 billion.
Pell Grants have been around since 1972. Team Trump says that to ensure it stays around another 10 years, the cuts had to be made.
The Pell Grant program sends up to $5,920 to students in families that earn less than $40,000 a year, with a priority for families earning closer to $20,000 or less. Pell Grants don’t have to be repaid.
More bad news: the proposed budget also warns that the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program is on the chopping block. This program provides $100-$4,000 a year for students with financial need, according to the U.S. Department of Education. It sends money directly to the financial aid office, instead of the student. Killing FSEOG will take another $732 million away from education.
Altogether the proposed Department of Education cuts amount to about $9 billion.
