How important are the other Campus-Based Programs: CWS and Perkins Loans?
The SEOG program, if closely tied to the Pell Program, is a very powerful tool in eliminating the unmet need, work, and loan burden of the lowest income students and expanding access. CWS and Perkins give institutions the ability and flexibility needed to leverage the Pell (and SEOG) program into an individualized approach to access. What overall priority should be placed on the Trio and Gear Up programs? In terms of increasing the participation rates of low income students, federal and state early intervention programs are a top priority. Indeed, most analysts seem to believe, and experience would suggest, that really significant future increases in student aid might produce only very modest improvement in participation without a simultaneous investment in early intervention and academic preparation. While addressing financially the serious problem of unmet need is a necessary condition for ensuring access, it is not a sufficient condition.
