The Future of Lower-Income Students in Higher Education: Rethinking the Pell Program and Federal Tax Incentives

Authors

Camilla E. Watson, University of Georgia School of Law

Document Type

Article

Abstract

As the costs of higher education have soared, the value of Pell Grants has declined, making it more difficult for lower-income students to obtain an education without being hopelessly mired in debt. This Article proposes a new system of federal funding for higher education that would require a redirection of a portion of the funds from the Pell program and a reformation of the federal tax incentives for higher education to provide free community college/vocational school for lower- and middle-income students, without the need to raise additional taxes. This Article also addresses problems that such a proposal would raise, such as access, low retention/graduation rates at community colleges, and the role of proprietary institutions. By lowering many of the barriers that lower-income students face in obtaining a higher education, this proposal would make federal funding of higher education more efficient by providing a more skilled workforce and perhaps by reducing the amount of student loans in the future.

Recommended Citation

Camilla E. Watson, The Future of Lower-Income Students in Higher Education: Rethinking the Pell Program and Federal Tax Incentives, 45 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. (2018) .
https://ir.law.fsu.edu/lr/vol45/iss4/3