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Letter: Summer pell grants make a big difference
John Swanson
Aug. 7, 2017 1:00 am
The current uptick in federal student financial aid applications signals that students and families are further recognizing the importance of education beyond a high school diploma. Congress has provided an added incentive by reauthorizing year-round Pell Grants.
Formerly, the grants were restricted to the traditional September-May school year, but now they can also be used for summer school. This is particularly important to low-income and non-traditional students where it can reduce student debt significantly and assist students in completing college on-time. Further, funding summer studies allows students in sequential programs, such as nursing to complete their studies in the correct order.
John Swanson
Cedar Rapids
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