"Hats off to Subcommittee Chairman Regula and Chairman Young for addressing this vital issue responsibly," Paige said, "and for meeting the president's goal of ensuring that millions of needy students who depend on Pell grants to pursue postsecondary education will not face any decrease in their grants. I now strongly urge the full House of Representatives and the Senate to follow suit to support this critical program."

Paige also praised the efforts of House Education and the Workforce Chairman John Boehner for his support in ensuring that adequate funds for Pell grants were put at the top of Congress' education agenda.

Paige noted that President Bush has proposed the largest funding increases for the Pell Grant program of any president in history. He called the Pell Grant program "the bedrock of the president's higher education agenda." The administration's $10.9 billion budget proposal for FY 2003 would fund almost 4.5 million needy college students — half a million more than before the president took office.

In addition, student loans are more available than ever before because of legislation that the president signed in February. And, more than $22.7 billion in tax savings over the next five years for working families will be available under the tax relief package bill that he signed last year.

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