Pell grant funds pending

Xavier University's Student Government Association (SGA)

took a stance on Nov. 21, requesting the United States of America's Congressional Leadership to heed their cries against the national budget cuts, which could end Pell

Grants and other need-based financial aid for next year.

SGA President Ryan Alleman and junior Senator Ryan

Martin are the students sponsoring the official resolution.

These need-based financial aid cuts are a result of the current national budget cutting. A committee, the

Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, was commissioned to charge these budget cuts. Last week, the Joint Select Committee was unable to finalize a decision on the federal deficit. Despite this, and because of the Budget Control Act of 2011, $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts have

been automatically triggered. However, these cuts have not been finalized and Pell Grants are not considered a part of that automatic trigger. Regardless of the ambiguous nature of these cuts, SGA still feels obliged to call upon Congress.

"From a Xavier standpoint, we want to continue to monitor this issue to see if any further action will be needed

in the future," Alleman said. Additionally, these cuts could

affect Xavier students directly. "Last year, more then 1,000

Xavier students received a Pell Grant. Most importantly, Pell

Grants are a form of need-based financial aid. For a large portion of our undergraduate population, these grants are critical to their attendance at Xavier," Alleman said.