The new law increases the maximum full-time Pell grant for an OU student to $5,845.
Congress recently passed a bill that will increase the amount of money students with Pell grants will receive in addition to how much funding research is dedicated to agriculture, health and energy.
Because of the legislation, the maximum full-time award for Ohio University students will increase from $5,775 to $5,845 for each student for the 2016-17 academic year, Valerie Miller, director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, said.
According to the legislation, the new maximum amount nationally for the Pell grant is $5,915.
“Any increase in the need-based Federal Pell Grant program is welcome,” Miller said in an email.
Pell grants are given to students who have the most financial need established from the FAFSA and the grant does not have to be repaid.
However, in the past five years, OU’s total Pell grant funding has dropped from nearly $47,000,000 to approximately $38,000,000 during the 2014-15 academic year, according to data provided by OU Spokeswoman Katie Quaranta.
In addition, around 2,000 less students have received Pell grant funding in that same time span.
During the 2014-15 academic year, 10,355 OU students received some sort of Pell grant funding, Quaranta said.
The new legislation could also affect and increase research funding for certain departments, including a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health, which funds the research of some OU professors.
Joseph Shields, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate College, said he is unsure at this time how the legislation could directly impact OU’s research funding.
However, he said it would be beneficial for OU researchers to have the option for more federal funding.
“The increase in availability of federal funding for research is good news for fostering the creation of new knowledge, and for Ohio University scholars seeking to obtain federal support for their work,” Shields said in an email.
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