Democrats Drop Proposal To Make Pell Grants an Entitlement

By Mark Pitsch

WASHINGTON--The Senate was poised to approve legislation reauthorizing the Higher Education Act late last week, after Democrats dropped a controversial proposal that would have made the Pell Grant an entitlement beginning in the 1997 fiscal year.

Senate debate on the other contentious issue in the reauthorization--a proposal for a direct-loan program for college students--was deferred until it is considered by the Finance Committee, clearing the way for easy passage of 1150.

The decision to drop the entitlement provision was made just before the bill was brought to the...