President’s Pell Grants for Kids a Flawed Idea

The State of the Union call by President Bush for Pell Grants for kids is flawed. Quite simply, it does not go far enough. A $500 scholarship for students from low and middle income families will not make much difference. A $5000 scholarship would.

According to a question and answer statement from Lamar Alexander, the reasons for these grants are sound. They are: To use the same idea that helped create the best colleges – letting money follow students to institutions of their choice – to help create the best schools; (2) To reduce inequality in educational opportunity by giving middle- and low- income children more of the same opportunities that wealthier families already have; (3) to provide more federal funds with fewer federal strings and more local control that may be used to implement the requirements of No Child Left Behind.

My only concern is the low amount of the grants. If we truly want to help these children, and I have not heard anyone say we don’t, then let’s up the ante to an amount that will actually provide for some true education.

$5,000 is the least amount that should be considered. Otherwise, Pell Grants for kids is a very fine idea.