| Colleges and universities are reporting summer | | | | Nebraska-Lincoln this year added Chancellor's |
| enrollment increases as a result of a recent Pell | | | | Scholarships that, as one of 1,500 scholarships |
| Grant expansion. The expansion, part of an | | | | valued at more than $12 million, provide students |
| education bill that President Barack Obama signed | | | | with $2,000 in additional support, an August report |
| into law earlier this year, went into effect July 1st. | | | | in the York News Times noted. |
| It came at a time when an MSNBC report noted | | | | Private institutions also have been increasing |
| that people in this recession have been particularly | | | | scholarship and grant offerings, while slowing |
| choked with debt and uncertain about the future | | | | tuition hikes and in some instances keeping tuition |
| and a Sallie Mae study noted families have been | | | | at last year's rates. Scholarships, grants and other |
| relying on more money from sources such as | | | | forms of financial aid at private colleges and |
| grants to help pay for college. | | | | universities increased by 6.8 percent between fall |
| Summer enrollment at the University of Wyoming | | | | 2009 and 2010, according to a June report from |
| increased by 5.2 percent over last year, from | | | | the National Association of Independent Colleges |
| 5,812 students to 6112, at least in part as a result | | | | and Universities. At Wisconsin's private colleges |
| of the Pell Grant, according to an August news | | | | and universities during the 2008-2009 academic |
| release from the institution. At Middle Tennessee | | | | year, 71 percent of the $18,478 average |
| State University, summer enrollment was up 8.31 | | | | freshman financial aid package was from |
| percent from last summer, with 8,603 students | | | | scholarships, the website for the Wisconsin |
| increasing to 9,318, a Daily News Journal article in | | | | Association of Independent Colleges and |
| August noted. Dr. Deb Sells, Enrollment and | | | | Universities shows. |
| Academic Services Provost at Middle Tennessee | | | | Many families rely on grants and scholarships to |
| State, attributed the increase to distance learning | | | | keep costs for tuition and fees down. The |
| enrollment as well as summer Pell Grant | | | | average family's budget for college tuition and |
| availability, a news release from the institution | | | | fees comes largely from their own income and |
| noted. | | | | savings (37 percent) and, behind that, from grants |
| Pell Grants are designed for students with financial | | | | and scholarships (23 percent), the Sallie Mae public |
| needs and as of July 1, they were expected to | | | | poll for the 2009-2010 academic year shows. |
| be awarded to about 617,000 more students than | | | | Families in the recession have had to work more |
| last year, with the average grant, at $3,865, | | | | hours, cut back on other spending and rely on |
| about $220 more than students last year | | | | more money from sources such as these in |
| averaged, according to a June article in US News | | | | order to pay for tuition and fees, the Sallie Mae |
| & World Report. Also as of July 1, the federal | | | | study shows. |
| government was expected to launch Iraq and | | | | In addition to the Pell Grant, the federal |
| Afghanistan Service grants. Through these grants, | | | | government offers Teacher Education Assistance, |
| college students who lost a parent or guardian | | | | Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity and |
| serving in these countries after Sept. 11, 2001, | | | | Academic Competitiveness grants and more. |
| could receive more than $5,000 toward college | | | | Many states also offer student grants for college. |
| tuition and fees, the report noted. | | | | Families and students as well can look toward |
| In addition to the Pell Grant, assistance from | | | | large corporations, non-profit organizations, |
| some states, colleges, universities and technical | | | | community and civic groups that offer |
| schools this year increased. Students in Arkansas, | | | | scholarships for campus-based and distance |
| for example, recently benefited from a | | | | learning programs. The costs of tuition and fees |
| scholarship program that expanded with help from | | | | might also be offset by work study program |
| a new state lottery. The University of | | | | participation and tax credits and deductions. |
