Morgan State University News July 18, 2011 President Wilson Visits Capitol Hill to Advocate for Pell Grant Joins Delegation of Presidents, Chancellors from Around the Nation Morgan President David Wilson recently traveled to Washington D.C. to join a national panel of college and university leaders in support of the federal Pell Grant program, an initiative granting need-based financial support to college students. Dr. Wilson joined nine other presidents from California, Georgia, Florida and Indiana to brief members of Congress on the continued need of the Pell Grant program for college students from houseolds living at or below the poverty line. The Pell Grant assists more than 12 million students annually in reducing costs for higher education. "More than 70 percent of students at Morgan receive the Pell," said Dr. Wilson. "And 25 percent of those students receive the full amount. These are students who, just like their president, have an enormous amount of potential but are without the financial resources to continue on in college. "We have to make sure that Congress understands that money should not be the determining factor in enabling students to realize their true potential. I want Congress to understand that cutting the Pell Grant shuts the door to economic prosperity and innovation and to students from families who cannot afford to contribute a Lincoln penny to their education. We cannot afford as a nation to fail these students." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Preserving the Story of the HBCU Library Alliance- Success Story Submissions due August 1st. Click here http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/hbcustory.html to access the guidelines.