Nancy Pelosi pays a visit to City College

By Marco Gonzales

News Editor

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi held a press conference at City College’s downtown campus on April 7 to celebrate the college’s first day of summer enrollment.

Chancellor Arthur Tyler, Board of Trustees president Rafael Mandelman and Mayor Ed Lee also spoke on behalf of the progress made by City College to increase enrollment and expand opportunities for students.

Tyler said this spring semester was a turning point for student enrollment numbers, citing the highest enrollment in the last three years and the availability of 3,000 courses for students.

Pelosi took a stance on the recent proposal by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to freeze Pell Grant awards for the next 10 years. The proposal would limit the maximum Pell award to $5,775 for the next 10 years.

Nine million students benefited from the $33 billion Pell grant program in the 2013-2014 school year. Nearly two-thirds of the African American undergraduates and 51 percent of Latino undergraduates receive Pell funding, according to the Education Trust.

The House Republican’s goal is to balance Federal Government expenditures over the next decade by slashing domestic spending such as financial aid. Pelosi said the accessibility and investment in higher education such as City College would ultimately reduce the deficit and expand the economy.

“Innovation begins in classrooms,” said Pelosi. “Nothing brings more to the treasury than American Education. The budget is a statement of our values.”

By freezing Pell Grants over the next 10 years, House Republicans would also freeze aspirations of students across America, Pelosi said.

@mijo_marco

mgonzales@theguardsman.com