Melanie Simangan’s life at UCLA is much different from the life she lived at home with her parents.
Her parents had a low-stocked pantry that held cheaper store-brand food which stood in contrast in Simangan’s mind, she said, to the generous buffet-style meals she enjoyed when living in the residence halls.
Simangan’s parents once held well-paying jobs as engineers until they were laid off during the dot-com bust, forcing them to take lower-paying, working class jobs.
Slowly, her family took fewer vacations and fewer presents would surface under the Christmas tree.
When it came time to choose a college, it was clear that the fourth-year comparative literature student would have to attend a public university and find a way to pay for most of her education.
But with Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid, she was able to afford to come to UCLA.
Under the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, college students who receive Pell Grants can expect an increase in the amount of aid they receive.
The act passed in the House of Representatives last month and is currently being considered in the Senate.
The bill would increase the minimum and maximum awards provided by Pell Grants and allow part-time students to accept year-round Pell Grants, according to a statement from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
It would also simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by eliminating the asset data and needs analysis formula.
“I voted for the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act because it makes an historic investment in the future of our nation,” Rep. Henry Waxman, whose 30th district includes UCLA, said in an e-mail statement.
He said that the act would make college more affordable, increase educational opportunities and help college students “succeed in the global environment.”
He added that the legislation will increase Pell Grant awards from $25 million this year to over $51 million by 2020 in his district.
LeeAnn Maton is the editor in chief of The Phoenix, the college newspaper of Loyola University Chicago and expressed concern that students will not see much relief, even if SAFRA is passed. As a result, she wrote an editorial on the movement of SAFRA through Congress.
She said that being better able to afford college is not the same as being better able to borrow for college.
She added she feels that SAFRA is a step in the right direction for bringing the plight of college students to light, but it’s not a comprehensive solution.
“People will still have to take out massive loans and pay it either to a boardroom or to Uncle Sam,” she said. “I know (student loans are) a necessary evil, but it changes your viewpoint on why you’re in college and what you’re going to do.”
She said that universities look like they’re “in an arms race” to build more facilities to attract more students, but they need to consider cutting some of their offerings to lower student fees. She added that Pell Grants should also open up to a range of incomes.
Martha Holler, a spokeswoman for Sallie Mae, a private student loan company, said in an e-mail statement that President Barack Obama’s goals should be achieved without “sacrificing financial literacy and default prevention efforts for students” through the alternative Student Loan Community Proposal, Martha Holler, a spokeswoman for Sallie Mae, a private student loan company, said in an e-mail statement.
This alternative proposal would eliminate lender subsidies and private ownership of federal loans while preserving 35,000 jobs in the student lending industry and keeping the “competitive environment that drives improvement and innovation in loan delivery,” Sallie Mae spokesman Conwey Casillas said in an e-mail statement.
This plan is supported by many in the student loan community, including nonprofit state agencies and consumer banks, he added.
Kevin Le, a second-year chemistry student, is the first in his family to attend college.
He said his mother is a single parent who faces difficulties at her broker business, sometimes going through “dry months” where she isn’t able to sell anything.
He said he receives about $3,800 in Pell Grants this year, and any increase would be helpful.
It would allow his mother to worry less and make the financial crisis more bearable, he added.
Singanman said that while an increase in Pell Grant awards won’t solve all of her problems, it’s an important step, considering that she almost had her Cal Grants cut over the summer due to budget cuts.
If she hadn’t received enough money in grants, she would have to take a quarter off from UCLA and find a job, she said.
She said her situation is like a “double-edged sword.” She wants to be able to take another quarter at UCLA and finish some minors that she’s interested in.
But when she goes home and sees the financial situation her parents are in, she understands the need to graduate on time.
“Despite everything, it’s really my family that keeps me motivated,” she said. “They’re the reason I was able to attend.”