Eliminate Restrictions on STudent Aid for Adult Students – Agenda for America

GeorgeWBush.com :: Agenda for America – Chapter 1
Eliminate Restrictions That Prevent Adult or Part-Time Students From Receiving Federal Student Aid – The President’s proposal makes financial aid more flexible and effective in helping these non-traditional students acquire necessary skills. The proposal eliminates restrictions through:

* Short-Term Training - Allows student loans to be used for short-term training, especially for dislocated workers and older Americans who need retraining.
* Student Aid to be Used for Competency-Based Programs and Traditional Credit Hour Programs - Competency-based programs assess skill levels and provide students with degrees or certifications, including teaching certifications.
* Year-Round Pell Grants for Low-Income Students - The President proposed providing an additional $84 million for year-round Pell Grants for students who graduate early. In the current system, students are allowed to receive only one Pell Grant during a traditional school year.
* Eliminating Barriers to Distance Learning and Developing an eLearning Clearinghouse -The President's proposals enable greater access to web-based programs and virtual schools and expand the number of students who can be enrolled in distance education to help those in underserved areas.
* Improving Adult Literacy - The President proposed developing a comprehensive web-based literacy tool for adults aimed at increasing adult literacy across the U.S.
* Providing Workers with Additional Flexibility for Selecting Services to Help Them Return to Work - Under the President's Personal Reemployment Accounts pilot program, certain unemployed workers would be eligible to receive up to $3,000 that could be used for training and services, such as child care and transportation, that they believe will help them get back to work. As an incentive, the program would allow the recipients to keep the balance of the account as a cash bonus if they find a job within 13 weeks.