President Trump's budget threatens Tennessee's college work

Tennessee has spent years and millions of dollars trying to pull more people into college, but President Donald Trump's proposed budget threatens to complicate those efforts by slashing federal funding for students facing the most hurdles.

The "budget blueprint" released last week by the White House proposes pulling $3.9 billion from reserves for the Pell grant — which covers costs for low-income students — and dramatically cutting the cash flow for a suite of programs that fund services for poor students and students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

The Trump White House's strategy stands in stark contrast to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's approach, which has included money for a number of unprecedented programs under the Drive to 55 mantle, including the Tennessee Promise scholarship and the proposed Tennessee Reconnect grant that combine to offer tuition-free community college to virtually every Tennessean.

Haslam has argued those investments are vital to Tennessee's continued economic strength and competitive edge. The governor wants 55 percent of Tennesseans to complete a college education by 2025, a goal he says would bolster the state's workforce while improving the fortunes of the Tennessee's poorest citizens.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2017/03/21/president-trumps-budget-threatens-states-college-work/99405900/