Maroon

              The MAROON V 01.64, No. 18 Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 March 7, 1986 Reagan's plan threatens student aid By Mary Caffrey Assistant News Editor In an effort to reduce the federal deficit and balance the budget, President Reagan has proposed financial aid cuts that would drastically reduce the amount of aid received by colleges and universities, Dr. Norman Roussell, chairman of the University Budget Committee, said. Federal financial aid to universities could be cut by as much as 28.2 percent by the 1987-88 school year, he said. "We're talking about something more devastating than we've ever seen for students in higher education," Roussell said. "I assure you, if the president's budget is accepted, there is no way we would be able to replace those dollars in financial aid. These are differences I don't think any institution can make up." The federal financial aid budget for fiscal year 1986 will automatically be reduced by 4.3 percent due to the adjustment called for by the Gramm- Rudman-Hollings legislation. This legislation automatically reduces the federal budget without action from Congress. But the real blow to financial aid programs could be the president's proposed 21 percent cut for fiscal year 1987. With the Gramm-Rudman- Hollings adjustment taking off another 7.2 percent, colleges and universities would be forced to ask parents to contribute a larger share of the cost of sending their children to school. Roussell cited an editorial by Robert H. Atwell, president of the American Council on Higher Education, that appeared in Higher Education and National Affairs Feb. 10. Atwell said the president's 1987 budget would eliminate two million student aid awards and reduce another million. "These proposed cuts represent a total renunciation of the commitments going back nearly 30 years to assure that no student of ability will be denied an opportunity for higher education because of financial need," Atwell said. Specifically, Reagan's plan would hit the following programs: •Guaranteed Student Loans — This program now provides $9 billion to three million students annually but could collapse, Atwell said, if Reagan's plans are adopted. The College Press Service reported Feb. 17 that Reagan wants to cut the program by one-third and also allow interest on GSLs to accumulate while the student is still in school. '' We 're talking about something more devastating than we've ever seen for students in higher education." —Roussell •Pell Grants — More than 800,000 of the three million students receiving these grants would be eliminated from eligibility. Others would have their awards reduced. •College Work Study Program — Roussell said the federal government currently requires each school to provide at least 20 percent of the funding for work-study jobs, but under Reagan's plan, CWS would be reorganized and the institution would be responsible for a larger share of the award. This new grant-work program would merge CWS with Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, eliminating 680,000 awards. •State Student Incentive Grants — Down and out with spring fever IKai Cunningham, graphic arts junior, hits the hay before hitting the books Sunday. The academic quad offers fierce I competition to the library when spring-like weather rolls around. —Photo by Shawn Murray Preston to leave L U after 11 years By Becky Weslerlund News Editor Dr. Robert A. Preston is leaving Loyola after 11 years as vice president for Academic Affairs. Preston will become president of Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, Conn. His appointment was announced by Sacred Heart Thursday. Preston said he is leaving with mixed emotions. But after 11 years, he said it may be time for a change. "I am sad to leave, but I am leaving with a spirit of anticipation and excitement," he said. He has enjoyed his 11 years at Loyola and would enjoy 11 more, he said, but added that he is excited by the opportunity become president at a growing institution in an expanding community. Although he was not looking to leave Loyola, Preston said he was asked by a friend to apply for the Bridgeport position when it became available and took advantage of the opportunity. Preston will leave Loyola July 31 at the end of this fiscal year. No major tasks are being left unfinished, he said. The budget for next year has been faced and all difficult decisions have been made, he said. If enrollment holds up, as projections predict, his successor will not have to significantly reduce the size of the faculty. Faculty salaries have improved significantly over the past few years, Preston said, although there remains room for improvement in the humanities and sciences. Loyola does have competitive salaries and has brought in some very strong junior faculty members in recent years, he said. As academic vice president, Preston has overseen the revision of the faculty handbook, the work of the Standing Council on Academic Planning, the 10- year self-study for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and modification of the split between day and evening business programs. "What 1 started out to do five years ago, I have done," Preston said. During the past five years, SCAP has developed and put into place a See Federal cuts/page 5 See Preston /page 7 The Maroon' will not publish next week because of mid-term exams. Publication will resume March 2L