Critz visits area colleges
?WAYNESBURG - Waynesburg University freshman Juliann Hudak knew college would be expensive.
That’s why Hudak said she chose Waynesburg University, noting the school’s combination of lower tuition and financial aid helped sway her decision.
In addition to loans and other scholarships she received for her good grades, Hudak also receives federal aid, including the Pell Grant.
“The Pell grant is an important part of my education,” Hudak said. “By the time I get out of here, I’m going to have over $20,000 in debt. The Pell grant is just a few thousand dollars every year that I won’t have to pay. That is the government helping me get through college and the government helping me to have a future.”
However, that money may not be there next year if the U.S. Senate approves a spending resolution already adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The resolution would cut $176 million in funding from Pennsylvania and $5.7 billion nationwide.
Currently, students can receive a maximum of $5,550 from Pell Grants, which are grants based on need awarded to low-income undergraduate students.
Students could see as much as $785 disappear from their federal funding if the cuts are enacted.
U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown, visited Waynesburg University and Washington & Jefferson College last week to learn how the cuts might impact students. Critz spent an hour with students at each school, listening to their stories.
“This is an issue with the Pell grants that I wanted to discuss with real students to see what the impact was for them personally,” said Critz, who represents the 12th Congressional District, which includes all of Greene County and parts of Fayette, Washington, among several other counties.
“(I want to) use that to extrapolate what I support going forward and how I argue and debate the protection of the Pell Grant program.”
About 15 students attended the informal session at Waynesburg University, identifying how Pell grants helped them to afford college.
“Everyone has their individual stories, but there are enough individuals that are very similar,” said Critz, who benefited from Pell grants as undergraduate at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “So, not only are they talking about themselves, they’re talking about people across this nation.”
Multiple students mentioned that they are responsible for paying for college on their own; were one of at least 10 children; or were working three jobs to make ends meet.
“When you have people who may not get to go to school because of their financial well-being, that’s not right,” Critz said. “That’s not what this country is built on.”
Hudak, who attended the session, is one of 670 Waynesburg students who would be affected by the cuts.
“I feel like they are decreasing the equality of education if they decrease the amount of money available,” she said.
Hudak shared her experiences with Critz, saying she hopes the government will increase Pell Grant funding instead of cutting it. Critz said his interactions with the students gave him insights as to how students struggle to afford increasing college costs.
“This helps give me the strength to stand up and say, ‘Look, these are the stories, and what you are doing is not good for the future of this country.
How do we go forward without impacting the future of this program?'” he said.