Carl Sandburg College is one of 44 schools chosen for an experimental program giving dual-credit students access to Federal Pell Grants.
Sandburg President Dr. Lori Sundberg says Pell Grant is “absolutely huge” as it counters the financial barrier stopping some high school students from enrolling in dual credit courses at the college.
Sundberg tells Galesburg’s Evening News on WGIL the school already offers a reduced price for dual credit.
“The fact that we discount dual credit by 50 percent, their federal financial aid dollars are going to go farther,” she said. “So they can not only start college earlier and get aid, but their last a little bit longer.”
A Sandburg news release says about 200 schools — 80 percent of which were community colleges — applied to take part in the program. Last academic year, 438 students across a dozen high schools enrolled in dual-credit courses at Sandburg.
The federal grant, which does not have to be repaid, provides aid to low-income students.
“We probably have in our district free and reduced lunch maybe 50 percent across the district,” Sundberg said. “Those families have just been left out, really.”
Sandburg was one of only three schools in Illinois to be selected for the dual-credit Pell Grant. In other Sandburg news, the Sundberg said the school will be keeping its Aa3 bond rating by Moody’s Investor Service despite concerns with the Illinois budget impasse.
