Federal grant in danger of elimination

Andrew Hayden, Associated Students federal relations director, said Arizona does not have an alternative plan if the federal government eliminates the State Student Incentive Grant, a federally supported student aid program administered by all 50 states.

"If it gets cut, Arizona has no other plan," he said. "Arizona will not match the funds if the government cuts it."

Sept. 8 the U.S. Senate passed a proposal by a vote of 84-4 that would include $35 million in funding for SSIG.

It remains to be seen whether the president will sign or veto the legislation.

Sponsored by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Md., S. 1096 would amend the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1998, a bill originally written without SSIG funding.

Phillis Bolt Bannister, University of Arizona student financial aid director, said the White House has not favored SSIG since 1982, although it has continued to fund it.

Hayden, a history and political science senior, said the federal government has tried to wean the states off federal money.

"They want the states to set up our own program in lieu of it," he said.

Bolt Bannister said the SSIG, which in Arizona is matched dollar for dollar at both state and university levels, is an important funding source for in-state undergraduates whose family incomes are $32,000 and below.

She said the grant provides a single student at the UA with up to $2,000 per year in aid. "We want to help the neediest students," Bolt Bannister said.

She added states have reacted differently when matching the federal money.

While California and New York have given up to $20 per $1 of federal aid to the grant program, Arizona has matched the federal government dollar for dollar - the minimum matching requirement to be eligible for funding.

She said, however, Arizona's universities add an additional dollar to the pool.

Bolt Bannister said the proposal, which is less than the $50 million approved last year for SSIG, is reasonable since the amount has fluctuated the past 10 years. She said SSIG has been federally funded since 1965.

Betsy Mullins, Reed's press secretary, said he opted for $35 million because he was uncertain the amendment would be supported.

SSIG is a relatively small federal aid program compared with Pell grants - where $10 million was given this year to 5,800 UA students, Bolt Bannister said.

She said students can apply for federal aid by filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

"SSIG is one of the first grants the absolute neediest students get," said Brook Rosenbaum, director of UA's Associated Students Association, a student lobbying group based in Phoenix. "These are the people who can barely afford anything."

Still, Rosenbaum, a French and political science senior, said he does not think the program will be cut.

"Each year they say they will, but they won't," he said. "But it should be taken as encouragement for states to take some more action. Eventually they will stop funding it."