President Obama is trying to get a new bill to pass through Congress that can potentially send millions more people to college while also helping to improve kindergarten through twelfth grade schools. Unfortunately, he seems to be having a hard time getting the bill to pass.

Some of the benefits that would be reaped if the bill passes includes lowering the interest rates on need-based college loans while also reducing the length and complexity of the college aid form. In addition, the bill would help provide more money to states as well as to schools so they can take the steps needed to improve graduation rates while also making college more accessible to their students. Furthermore, the bill would provide yet more financial aid to veterans who are interested in going to school.

The current bill has a great deal of support and is expected to be approved by the House when the August break is over. At the same time, supporters of the bill still maintain that Congress is going to have to take things a step further in order to achieve President Obama’s goals.

“I think it’s a big step, but I don’t think it’s enough,” commented Sandy Baum, who is part of the College Board, which is a nonprofit organization that is devoted to college access.

Critics of the bill, however, argue that it isn’t doing enough to help make college more accessible. While the bill will help provide students with more money to pay for college, critics maintain that college expenses are getting steeper and that the real issue lies in getting the costs under control. In fact, the cost of college is rising faster than the cost of healthcare and the amount of money being proposed by the new bill will not be increasing as quickly as the costs.

When Pell Grants were first started in 1973, they were able to provide students with more than enough funding to cover tuition costs as well as other fees associated with attending a public four-year college. At that time, these expenses came to about $438 while the maximum grant amount was about $452.

The story today is much different. Last year, for example, the fees and tuition costs of attending a public college were about $6,585, but the maximum Pell grant was just $4,731. Although the costs are far less at community colleges and far more at private schools, the costs have increased no matter what type of school a student chooses to attend. So, despite the additional funds being proposed by the Obama administration, students may still be forced to take out loans in order to attend college. As a result, many Americans who are eligible for these grants will likely still choose not to go.

Nonetheless, the proposed changes to the Pell Grant is somewhat revolutionary. Under the bill, the grant would increase at a rate that is slightly higher than the rate of inflation. This would be the first tie a long-term annual increase has ever been implemented with the program. On the other hand, whether or not funding is made available through Pell Grants will still be a decision that is left up to Congress when it makes its annual spending bills. Therefore, experts maintain that Pell Grants need to be made into an entitlement, similar to Medicaid and Social Security, before it can be considered more than just a false promise.

Obama has asked to make Pell Grants an entitlement, but whether or not Congress will agree to that change remains to be seen. Considering our current federal deficit and the fact that making Pell Grants an entitlement would cost about $117 billion per year over the next decade, it is certainly going to be difficult to convince many members of Congress to take such a drastic step.