This letter to the editor by Assistant Secretary Sally Stroup appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on March 16, 2005.

In response to the March 1 editorial, "Robbing Perkins to pay Pell":

Financial aid for college and career training, particularly for low-income students, is indeed an important investment in America's work force. That's why President George W. Bush proposed increasing aid to higher education to record levels—more than $80 billion—while improving the effectiveness of these programs.

The key element of the proposal is increasing the amount that low-income students can receive under the Pell program by raising the maximum award, which will require a $19 billion investment.

Yes, our budget would eliminate the Perkins loan program because it is outdated and been replaced by better programs. That's why today, only 3 percent of students enrolled in less than one-third of all post-secondary institutions receive a Perkins loan each year.

The budget is good news for Missouri's students: Even after eliminating Perkins, our proposal is estimated to provide $22 million more than Missouri's students receive today. The federal share of funds held by this small group of institutions can be better used to serve all eligible students, regardless of the institution they attend.

Also, you should know that the Pell formula update you mention is required by law. We can't pick and choose which parts of the law to follow.

The president's proposals will help thousands more deserving students fulfill their plans for higher education. They just make good, common sense.

Sally Stroup
Assistant Secretary for
Post-Secondary Education
U.S. Department of Education
Washington, D.C.