Bills Aim To Help Students (The Chicago Tribune)

"The House passed a bill in February that would allow college students to receive Pell Grants, or need-based financial aid, during the summer in addition to the normal school year. The Senate passed a similar bill last summer," The Chicago Tribune reports. "The two chambers are now trying to mesh their versions of the legislation. The House bill also would create what its sponsor, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.), called the College Consumer’s Bill of Rights. As part of this, colleges would have to reveal any financial relationships they have with private lenders, and inform students whether they would first be eligible for federal funding. ‘Additional disclosures are going to be a good thing for students,’ said Justin Draeger of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, adding that they could lead to more students taking advantage of federal aid rather than resorting to more expensive commercial lenders."

You can read the complete April 7, 2008 Chicago Tribune article on-line.