Show Students gather at capital to protest financial aid cuts I CPS A ABOUT BOUT students rallied in protest of the Department of Educations Education's policy on minority scholarships and called on congress to increase money available for finan financial al aid The Rev Jesse Jackson joined the US Student Association in calling for legislation that would preserve the legality of minority scholarships and make Pell Grants an entitlement George Bush is playing race politics at a time when the he economic recession is is' most c conducive ive to dividing groups of people and distracting students from the real teal source of their financial l aid problems said Shah president of USSA and a student at Rutgers University In the same way that Bush is dividing middle-class middle stu students students students stu stu- dents from the neediest students' students with his Pell Grant Giant proposals he is also dividing whites from minorities who undeservingly get a miniscule amount of targeted race-targeted scholarships added Shah In December 1991 the Department of Education proposed that universities be prohibited from awarding scholarships based solely on race March 9 was the last day for public co comment coment ment on the proposed rule Education Secretary Lamar Alexander emphasized that no student who has a scholarship will lose it because of ot the new policy He also said that scholarships can continue to tobe tobe tobe be used by colleges to attract students if the scholarships are based on a number of factors such as economic back back- background background ground geographic location and race The prim primary ry result of th the move will stop predominantly white colleges from offering scholarships based solely on race to encourage enrollment of minorities Race can still be considered considered considered con con- in a scholarship as long as it is one factor among several About 2 million students receive minori minority sch scholarships scholarships scholar scholar- lar- lar ships but only have race specific race fic scholarships As students we will not be divided and conquered We want access to higher education for all said Stacy Ley Leyton ton vice president of USSA and a graduate at Stanford Stanford Stanford Stan Stan- ford University Students know that the answer to the crisis in higher education is not not- notto to abolish minority scholarships but to strengthen the student aid programs so that they serve the needs of low- low and mid mid- income dle-income students According to a statement by USSA USSR Pell Grants now cover coverless coverless coverless less than 25 percent of college costs compared with 50 percent percent percent per per- cent in 1980 Despite sharp increases in tuition grant money for college students continues to dry up The senate recently approved a major expansion of student aid but dropped a provision that would convert Pell Grants into an entitlement The House has not yet approved its version version version ver ver- ver- ver sion of the Higher High r Education Reauthorization Act As an entitlement Pell Grants would receive aut automatic matic funding and avoid the annual appropriations process that often leaves the the program short of its authorized funding level |