The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Feb. 7 that includes the first expansion of the Pell Grant program -- federal aid given to students from low-income families -- since 2005. The bill followed major financial aid reforms for students from lower and middle class backgrounds at schools such as Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth.
"The bill will create a higher education system that is more affordable and easier to navigate for consumers," George Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, told The Times.
The College's financial aid initiative, which was introduced on Jan. 22, focuses mainly on making education affordable for students from the lowest income brackets.
The number of low-income students attending the College has increased in the last nine years, according to data provided by Virginia Hazen, director of financial aid at the College.
As a result, the number of Dartmouth students eligible to receive Pell grants has increased from 451 to 531 since 1998.
The cost of Dartmouth's tuition has also increased. While there has been a $9,000 raise in tuition since 1998, federal grants awarded to eligible student have only increased by a maximum of $1,310 during the same period of time.
National tuition costs have also escalated over recent years, according to a College Board report released on Oct. 22, 2007.
Many students can no longer afford to pursue higher education because the average cost of tuition, room and board at private four-year institutions has increased by more than $7,000 dollars since 2002.
Budget problems have plagued previous federal efforts to cut the climbing costs of higher education. The financial shortcomings caused the maximum Pell Grant to freeze at $4,050 for three years in 2003.
The Pell Grant program was modernized in 2005 when President Bush's administration made a commitment to raise the maximum amount of federal aid by $100 annually.
The administration cut funding for other student aid programs, however, The Times reported.
The Bush administration further reduced the financial aid budget by $12.5 billion in early 2006, according to the federal Office of Management and Budget.
The Senate Finance Committee is also considering drafting legislation aimed at making universities spend a larger portion of their endowments on student financial aid.
