News 2 September 12, 2007 The Rambler The U.S. Congress recently passed a bill that will boost college financial aid to $20 billion, taking money from government-subsidized lenders to increase Federal Pell Grants and decrease fixed-interest rates for student loans. “It’s giving more money to the neediest students,” said John Curl, director of financial aid at the University of Utah. “In-state students would be receiving funds which would be more than their tuition charges right now.” Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which Sen. Edward Kennedy said is the biggest increase in student aid since the GI Bill following World War II, the maximum Pell Grant would rise from $4,310 to $5,400 in the next five years. Students receiving Pell Grants would see an immediate increase of $490 in the first year. “The increase will be marginal, but it will make a difference for students,” Curl said. During the 2006-2007 school year, more than five million Pell Grants were awarded nation- wide. The act will also cut interest rates on government loans for undergraduate students from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent by 2011 and CAP loan payments so students won’t have to pay more than 15 percent of their monthly income. A loan-forgiveness program will be implemented for borrowers who work more than 10 years in public service, such as public school teachers, social workers or nurses. More than $500 million will be given to minority schools, such as historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions. “Low-income and middle class students will benefit the most because it increases need-based grants and gives borrowers more rights and makes paying back easier,” said Pedro de la Torre III, a manager for Campus Progress, an activist organization in the Center for American Progress sup- porting the legislation. The funding increase will come from federal money previously given to banks that acted as student lenders. Kennedy and Rep. George Miller sponsored the reconciliation bill, which must now be signed by President George Bush to become law. Bush is expected to sign the bill. Some Republicans criticized the bill for not including measures to stop improper lending practices and because it did not include proposed revisions to the FAFSA form, which they said was confusing. Sen. Mike Enzi, a member of the education panel, told The Washington Post the bill “is only a Band-Aid solution without the important bipartisan reforms.” On the Senate floor, Kennedy praised the act’s efforts. “Our Senate bill provided all these benefits at no cost to the taxpayer by cutting the outra- geous subsidies the government gives to lenders. We gave that money to students, where it belongs,” Kennedy said. Congress passes financial aid bill to boost Pell, reduce loan interests ROCHELLE MCCONKIE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE/ UWIRE During his internship and stay on Lee Stocking Island, Adam Harisson spent most of his time around the docks and boats, above, or underwater. Harisson (below, right) caught a black lionfish, a species that Harisson and others used in various scientific experi- ments. life in the field.” One of the experiments was a feeding experi- ment with black lionfish. Although it is a predato- ry native to the Pacific Ocean, they have appeared in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. “We basically wanted to see what kind of fish they would eat and which kind they wouldn’t,” Harrison said. In addition, Harrison worked with geologist Dr. Robert Ginsburg to study stromatolites, calci- um structures that have been forming on bacteria for 3.5 billion years. He also maintained oceanographic data sta- tion for CREWS (Coral Reef Early Warning System) to predict environmental changes and how they affect coral. Although much of Harrison’s days on the island centered around water and marine life, he also learned a few things from the people and creatures living above ground. For the most part, residents on the island were very poor and lived their lives very simply. “I gained an appreciation for all of the things that we take for granted here in the U.S.,” said Harrison. That message really hit hard when he helped to save a man’s life. One morning, during the normal internship activities, the group received a distress call from a nearby island saying there was a man in need of medical attention after suffering a heart attack. Because Harrison’s group was on the only island in the vicinity with an airstrip and portable oxy- gen, he and another intern boated to the nearby island. As it turns out, Harrison was the most med- ically-trained person on any of the islands, and he spearheaded the task to rescue the man. He man- aged to get the man on oxygen, boat him over to the main island and load him onto a plane. Later he learned that the man had two clogged arteries and would most likely have died had it not been for Harrison. “I met the man briefly before we flew back to the states,” Harrison said. “I got a great goose- bumpy sense of accomplishment when he thanked me for what I did. I’m not trying to sound too cliché here, but that’s what it’s all about.” Now that he’s back at Wesleyan and reminisc- ing about his days on the island, Harrison is amazed by all the new experiences he had. He handled the controls of an airplane in flight, trimmed coconuts with a machete, hunted lobsters and water skied, among other things. Harrison also shared his experience of tense moments: watching a colleague get stung by a lionfish, running out of gas on the high sea and surviving scuba equipment malfunctions under 50 feet of water. “I think most important of all the things that I gained during the three months I was on LSI,” Harrison said, was the “new long-lasting friend- ships and experienced camaraderie that developed stronger and faster than anything I have known previous.” Bahamas, from page 1 Photos courtesy of Adam Harrison want your soul bosses Some at The Rambler we just want your words (and there’s no need to wear prada) www.txwes.edu/rambler [email protected]
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Congress passes financial aid bill to boost Pell, reduce loan interests at The Rambler we just want your words (and there’s no need to wear prada) 2 September 12, 2007 The Rambler www.txwes.edu/rambler [email protected] During his internship and stay on Lee Stocking Island, Adam Harisson spent most of his time around the docks and boats, above, or underwater. Harisson (below, right) caught a black lionfish, a species that Harisson and others used in various scientific experi- ments.
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News2 September 12, 2007 The Rambler
The U.S. Congress recently passed a bill that will boost college financial aid to $20 billion,taking money from government-subsidized lenders to increase Federal Pell Grants and decreasefixed-interest rates for student loans.
“It’s giving more money to the neediest students,” said John Curl, director of financial aid atthe University of Utah. “In-state students would be receiving funds which would be more thantheir tuition charges right now.”
Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which Sen. Edward Kennedy said is thebiggest increase in student aid since the GI Bill following World War II, the maximum Pell Grantwould rise from $4,310 to $5,400 in the next five years.
Students receiving Pell Grants would see an immediate increase of $490 in the first year. “The increase will be marginal, but it will make a difference for students,” Curl said. During the 2006-2007 school year, more than five million Pell Grants were awarded nation-
wide. The act will also cut interest rates on government loans for undergraduate students from 6.8
percent to 3.4 percent by 2011 and CAP loan payments so students won’t have to pay more than15 percent of their monthly income.
A loan-forgiveness program will be implemented for borrowers who work more than 10 yearsin public service, such as public school teachers, social workers or nurses.
More than $500 million will be given to minority schools, such as historically black collegesand universities and Hispanic-serving institutions.
“Low-income and middle class students will benefit the most because it increases need-basedgrants and gives borrowers more rights and makes paying back easier,” said Pedro de la Torre III,a manager for Campus Progress, an activist organization in the Center for American Progress sup-porting the legislation.
The funding increase will come from federal money previously given to banks that acted asstudent lenders.
Kennedy and Rep. George Miller sponsored the reconciliation bill, which must now be signedby President George Bush to become law. Bush is expected to sign the bill.
Some Republicans criticized the bill for not including measures to stop improper lendingpractices and because it did not include proposed revisions to the FAFSA form, which they saidwas confusing.
Sen. Mike Enzi, a member of the education panel, told The Washington Post the bill “is onlya Band-Aid solution without the important bipartisan reforms.”
On the Senate floor, Kennedy praised the act’s efforts. “Our Senate bill provided all these benefits at no cost to the taxpayer by cutting the outra-
geous subsidies the government gives to lenders. We gave that money to students, where itbelongs,” Kennedy said.
Congress passes financial aid billto boost Pell, reduce loan interests
ROCHELLE MCCONKIEDAILY UTAH CHRONICLE/ UWIRE
During his internship and stay on Lee Stocking Island, Adam Harisson spent most of his time around the docks and boats, above,or underwater. Harisson (below, right) caught a black lionfish, a species that Harisson and others used in various scientific experi-ments.
life in the field.” One of the experiments was a feeding experi-
ment with black lionfish. Although it is a predato-ry native to the Pacific Ocean, they have appearedin the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas.
“We basically wanted to see what kind of fishthey would eat and which kind they wouldn’t,”Harrison said.
In addition, Harrison worked with geologistDr. Robert Ginsburg to study stromatolites, calci-um structures that have been forming on bacteriafor 3.5 billion years.
He also maintained oceanographic data sta-tion for CREWS (Coral Reef Early WarningSystem) to predict environmental changes andhow they affect coral.
Although much of Harrison’s days on theisland centered around water and marine life, healso learned a few things from the people andcreatures living above ground. For the most part,residents on the island were very poor and livedtheir lives very simply.
“I gained an appreciation for all of the thingsthat we take for granted here in the U.S.,” saidHarrison.
That message really hit hard when he helpedto save a man’s life.
One morning, during the normal internshipactivities, the group received a distress call from anearby island saying there was a man in need ofmedical attention after suffering a heart attack.Because Harrison’s group was on the only islandin the vicinity with an airstrip and portable oxy-gen, he and another intern boated to the nearbyisland.
As it turns out, Harrison was the most med-ically-trained person on any of the islands, and hespearheaded the task to rescue the man. He man-aged to get the man on oxygen, boat him over tothe main island and load him onto a plane. Laterhe learned that the man had two clogged arteriesand would most likely have died had it not beenfor Harrison.
“I met the man briefly before we flew back tothe states,” Harrison said. “I got a great goose-bumpy sense of accomplishment when he thankedme for what I did. I’m not trying to sound toocliché here, but that’s what it’s all about.”
Now that he’s back at Wesleyan and reminisc-ing about his days on the island, Harrison isamazed by all the new experiences he had. Hehandled the controls of an airplane in flight,trimmed coconuts with a machete, hunted lobstersand water skied, among other things.
Harrison also shared his experience of tensemoments: watching a colleague get stung by alionfish, running out of gas on the high sea andsurviving scuba equipment malfunctions under 50feet of water.
“I think most important of all the things that Igained during the three months I was on LSI,”Harrison said, was the “new long-lasting friend-ships and experienced camaraderie that developedstronger and faster than anything I have knownprevious.”
Bahamas, from page 1
Photos courtesy of Adam Harrison
want your
soul
bosses
Some
at The Ramblerwe just want your words
(and there’s no need to wear prada)
www.txwes.edu/[email protected]
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