Politics and Their Effect on College Planning

Many of the contributing factors that relate to the type of education our children receive are outside of our control. This is not such a monumental statement that you aren't aware of it, but many things can change quickly in the economical situation we find ourselves in presently.

College funding through grants may be entirely different for the next semester following the critical maneuvers taking place in the Senate and House of Representatives at this time. Two conflicting thoughts are about to reach an impasse or a resolution, which will make a huge impact on what funds will be available by the end of the year.

The Democratic concept is that the debt ceiling must be raised and at the same time taxes must be increased to those who are able to pay them. Republicans believe that taxes cannot be levied at this point and do not want to raise the debt ceiling. Whether you follow one line of thinking or the other has little to do with what will eventually happen.

It seems reasonable that spending will have to be cut if any of the numbers will work. That means that funding for only the basic and necessary expenditures can be expected. The problem with that is no one seems to understand what is necessary and what isn't. While one party might consider the financial aid promises made to all the college students in the country a necessary expense, another might not.

One thing that has always proven true in pressure situations is that some decisions will be the wrong ones. Politicians realize that the only way to keep doing their jobs is to make good on promises, and for that reason, they will fight to keep even the programs of least benefit when they were the authors of them.

Anyone who has banked on college grant money to keep their students in school should be looking for backup plans in the event that the channels all dry up. Checking into the availability of student loans would be a good plan now, before so many others look to that option, too.

It may be the 11th hour in the financial situation for the nation, but there is always hope that a resolution might be hammered out that will serve part of the desires of both parties and the educational needs of our college students.