Sequester Concerns About Federal Student Aid
By: Ben Manning
Updated: February 26, 2013
The financial show down between congress and the president has many people across the country afraid of the automatic cuts that would kick in on Friday. The automatic cuts would strip $85 billion from federal agencies. A little over four billion of that would come from education. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators say that would raise loan origination fees 7.6%, programs like federal work studies would be cut 8.2%, and Pell Grants are only guaranteed for one more year.
Gary Witherow was getting help with his kid's FAFSA forms Monday night. Its extremely important to him because he has two children that will be college freshmen next year and another that will graduate high school the following year.
People from Mount Aloysius and PHEAA were showing him and his wife how to make sure the form is just right to get any help they qualify for. But he's keeping an eye on the sequester talks, and thinking about what it means for his family.
Tina Tanzi was helping with the forms and wants all freshmen to know that even if the federal funds dry up they can still get help from the universities themselves. And the earlier they apply to school and for aid, the more likely they will receive help.
Mount Aloysius is going to have another FAFSA help session on March 11th. And you don't even have to be planning to go there to get the help.

