The Association of American Universities (AAU), and the American Council on Education (ACE), joined thirty-three other organizations in a letter to Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to express their concerns regarding how proposals to make rescissions to non-defense spending in the FY 2018 budget may include federal student aid programs.
The letter outlined the harmful consequences to students and their families should federal student aid programs be included in any proposed rescission package.
The organizations explain, "Pell Grants are the foundational program of federal student aid and over seven million students are depending on them to afford college this academic year. Any rescissions of existing funding would undercut the long term ability of the program to serve low income students."