Dive Summary:
- According to a new report released Tuesday by the University of Alabama's Education Policy Center, community college enrollment in the South, which generally lacks substantial state student aid programs, was negatively impacted by eligibility changes in the federal Pell Grant program.
- The report says that over 5,000 students in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi losing eligibility for the Pell Grant program--due to changes approved by Congress--directly contributed to enrollment declines at 47 of the 62 community colleges across those three states.
- The report's authors estimate an additional 17,000 students in the three states will lose eligibility this year.
From the article:
Under the changes, students are limited to six years of Pell Grants, down from the previous limit of nine; fewer students automatically qualify for the maximum grant because of a lower income cap for receiving an "automatic zero" expected family contribution; and students without a high-school diploma or GED are no longer eligible to receive federal financial aid. ...