{"id":18055,"date":"2019-05-15T00:44:47","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T16:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/white-house-proposal-to-tap-pell-grant-fund-casts-a-pall-over-nasas-moon-plans\/"},"modified":"2019-05-15T00:44:47","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T16:44:47","slug":"white-house-proposal-to-tap-pell-grant-fund-casts-a-pall-over-nasas-moon-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/white-house-proposal-to-tap-pell-grant-fund-casts-a-pall-over-nasas-moon-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"White House proposal to tap Pell Grant fund casts a pall over NASA\u2019s moon plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at left, discusses the plan to send astronauts to the moon by 2024 as three of his associate administrators \u2014 William Gerstenmaier, Jim Reuter and Thomas Zurbuchen \u2014 look on during a town hall at NASA headquarters. (NASA Photo \/ Joel Kowsky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Will NASA\u2019s plan to land astronauts on the moon by 2024 fly with Congress? The Artemis program\u2019s implications are still sinking in on Capitol Hill, but there\u2019s already a political problem having to do with where the money\u2019s supposed to come from.<\/p>\n

Trump administration officials confirmed that the $1.6 billion being sought as a \u201cdown payment\u201d for accelerating the push to the moon would be taken from a roughly $8 billion reserve account for the popular Pell Grant program, which funds education for millions of low-income students annually.<\/p>\n

Due to the economy\u2019s rebound from the 2008-2009 Great Recession, the number of Pell Grant recipients has been declining in recent years, leading to a buildup in reserves. Because of that, taking money from the reserves would not affect current recipients, who will be receiving up to $6,195 for the 2019-2020 academic year..<\/p>\n

\u201cThis does not cut any spending for Pell Grant programs as the budget continues to ensure all students will get their full Pell Grant and keeps the program on sound fiscal footing,\u201d Office of Management and Budget spokesman Wesley Denton told The Associated Press in a statement.<\/p>\n

However, that glosses over the fact that the carryover reserve is meant to buoy the Pell Grant program through hard times, and avoid the multibillion-dollar shortfalls that were experienced during the last recession.<\/p>\n

And the White House aims to shift far more than the $1.6 billion. When other reallocations are taken into account, the proposed reallocation adds up to $3.9 billion, which is roughly half of the reserve.<\/p>\n

Organizations such as the American Council on Education and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities were quick to register protests.<\/p>\n

Jon Fansmith, director of government relations for the American Council on Education, told AP that depleting the reserve would \u201cundercut the stability of a program that\u2019s really critical for helping students afford college.\u201d And in a letter to Senate and House education subcommittee leaders, the APLU said such a move would be \u201cdeeply misguided and contrary to the national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPell Grants help ensure we have a pipeline of talented students, many of whom will become the next generation of scientists and engineers who strengthen U.S. competitiveness in space and all other areas of scientific discovery and innovation,\u201d APLU President Peter McPherson wrote.<\/p>\n

Education advocacy groups aren\u2019t the only ones registering their concern. The proposed funding shift is also getting thumbs-down from some members of the space community, including former NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez \u2026<\/p>\n