Feingold calls for more LEAP
funds for disadvantaged students
Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2004) – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is pushing for funding to help  provide disadvantaged undergraduate and graduate students with financial aid.
Feingold, along with a group of his Senate colleagues, wrote a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education requesting an increase in funds for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program.
LEAP funding has helped states provide grant aid to needy students since 1972. The LEAP program is the only federal-state partnership program and has no administrative costs, meaning every dollar goes to the students.
“While the President’s budget proposes to eliminate LEAP, the Senate has long supported LEAP,” the letter read. “Without this important federal incentive, many states would never have established need-based financial aid programs, and many states would not continue to maintain such programs.”
Over 60 percent of LEAP recipients come from families earning less than $20,000 per year. Due to record high financial barriers, 400,000 college-qualified, low-and moderate-income high school graduates will not pursue a four-year college degree and nearly 200,000 are unable to attend any college at all.
“LEAP funding has been critical for so many disadvantaged students who want to achieve their goal of receiving a higher education,” Feingold said. “With the current economic situation facing many states, the federal government needs to do all it can in helping ensure that those who want a college education can get one.”
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