Sacramento – Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D - La Cañada), Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, praised the efforts of Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) in keeping thousands of California community college students eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant awards.

“Without the leadership of Congressmen Miller and McKeon, California students would have been left shouldering a huge financial burden,” said Assemblymember Anthony Portantino.  “The actions taken by Congress aim to ensure that our students won’t be penalized because they choose a low-cost education.  This action is particularly timely because Congress is poised to raise the maximum Federal Pell Grant and our students need this new assistance.”

During the budget negotiations of 2006, California Community College fees were reduced from $26 to $20 per unit, taking effect this spring.   However, the Federal Pell Grant program includes a “tuition sensitivity” feature that will cause California students paying the new fee amount to receive reduced federal assistance.   Without a change in federal law, more than 260,000 California community college students will be affected in 2007-08 by the reduction of their Federal Pell grant award payments – resulting in a multi-million dollar loss to the lowest income students enrolled in California Community Colleges.

H.R. 990, authored by Congressmen Miller and McKeon, repeals the Pell Grant “tuition sensitivity” clause.  This measure, if passed by Congress and signed by the President, will mean that California Community College students will not be penalized because they attend a low-cost school.  H.R. 990 is currently awaiting hearing before the House Committee on Education and Labor, of which Congressman Miller is the Chairman and Congressman McKeon the Ranking Member.