Nita Lowey: “There are 2,600 young people in the State of Oregon getting State student grants this year who will not get those grants…”

“There are 2,600 young people in the State of Oregon getting State student grants this year who will not get those grants next year because we are zeroing out that program. That is 2,600 Oregonians. That is mirrored time and time again around the country. State student incentive grants are gone. They are zeroed out. They can go over and apply for the increased Pell grants. We heard a lot about the increased Pell grants. It is partially true. They are increasing the amount of the grant, but there are an estimated 221,000 students who would be eligible under this year's income guidelines, middle-income kids, who will not be eligible under their new guidelines. So yes, those lucky few who still get the grants will get a little bit more, but 221,000 middle-income American kids, scholastically qualified to go to college, will not get help with Pell grants next year because of changes they are making in the program. Seven hundred fifty-seven thousand Perkins loan kids are put at risk because of the changes we are making in the program.”