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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1982)
Oregon daily _ _ emerald Need a Job? Unde Sam is hiring. Page 8 Thursday, August 12, 1982 Eugene, Oregon Volume 84, Number 16 -1 Ridin ’ on to finals This University student is no doubt racing back from his tennis “final" to face his desk at home, piled high with books for other exams As term is washed away by summer rains, some students clean up their acts and study for finals Others wear the same car eless attitude day after day Eight weeks of classes and frivolity, including publication of the Emerald, will cease and desist this week with those mind-dredg ing confessionals of academic (incompetence called finals Area merchants vent a de spairing sigh as those students dollars skip town While profes sors and campus lawns sigh in relief, knowing they will not be trod upon by students for a month See you in September Photo by Mark Pynes Financial aid may match spring estimates By Debbie Howlett Of th« Emerald The University's financial aid office says all systems are go for fall term registration Financial aid awards will be dispersed and students should receive at least as much assistance as tentative award letters indicated last spring, ac cording to Ed Vignoul, financial aid dir ector The office staff is in the process of finishing checks of tax forms for PELL Grant recipients, and Vignoul expects the checks to be completed by the end of the month "We re going to be ready to go fall term,” Vigr.oul says. But Vignoul has strong words for what he terms the absurdity of not yet knowing the exact amount of financial aid the University will receive for the coming year "It's absolutely absurd — it’s August and we don’t have (official notification)," Vignoul says. “We didn't even have a reasonable idea until April 12." Exact amounts probably won’t be released until well after fall term begins, Vignoul says In the meantime, "partial tentative campus based award letters” will most likely be mailed by Aug 20 from the Department of Education in Wa shington The tentative letters will allow schools to distribute money for fall term. According to Vignoul, the award let ters will probably have little impact on distribution of aid for fall term, assuming that the financial aid office estimated the amounts correctly If the estimations are incorrect, Vig noul says "you may be talking to University given minority grant By Cort Fernald Ot the Emerald The University has received a $69,320 award from the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development to aid 12 minority students obtain degrees in community planning or development. The University is the only educational institution in the Northwest to receive such funding this year Dean Runyan, head of the University's Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, calls the HUD funding "crucial to meet the needs of minority students ." The program "will really help students who wouldn't otherwise be able to take advantage of this kind of educa tional opportunity,” Runyan adds Minority students eligible for the University program will be recruited throughout Oregon The students will be selected on the basis of financial need, interest in a career in community development, insight into urban prob lems for low-income and minority groups, academic ability and profes sional potential. Because the award was announced only last week, the University could not recruit for fall term, Runyan says. How ever, there are eligible University students who will enter the program now, he says. “Next year we will recruit more broad ly," Runyan says. The program will be "used as a recruiting tool,” according to Runyan The University financial aid office will check the students’ eligibility and han dling the bookkeeping, according to Ed Vignoul, director of University Financial Aid. HUD Community Development Work Study Program enables 276 poor men and women to spend one year at one of 54 participating colleges and universities across the country. Students gain professional experience by working to plan, develop or administer activities funded by HUD’s Community Develop ment Block Grant or Urban Development Action Grant programs. "Our goal is to enhance the profes sional leadership abilities of these students, while enriching their under standing of urban and economic development programs," says Samuel Pierce, HUD secretary. "This is also an opportunity to attract a greater number of minority men and women to careers in state or local community and economic development " In addition to their academic work, students in the program will use the urban or community development grant funds to complete internships with a state, regional or local government agency, an Indian tribe or a private non profit organization The funds will be used in conjunction with the University's work-study pro gram. The University will provide coun seling and administrative support services Students who complete the program will be required to work a minimum of two consecutive years for a state or local government or nonprofit agency funded by CDBG or UDAG funds. Those who do not complete their academic or profes sional work will be required to repay the educational costs Most of the students in the program will be in graduate programs leading to a master's degree A few colleges and universities in the HUD program will focus on undergraduates in their senior year. The University's Department of Plan ning, Public Policy and Management offers two master's degree programs in Urban and Regional Planning and in Public Affairs within the architecture and allied arts school. someone else next time.” Other good news is coming from the financial aid front The funding situation for PELL Grants and Supplemental Educational Oppor tunity Grants has also improved The House of Representatives voted to add $140 million to the PELL Grant fund and $29 million to the SEOG. And Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn , has proposed an amendment that would add an additional $48 million to the SEOG fund. The Senate tabled the measure after some debate Tuesday and will vote on it later. "I don't think students will notice a significant increase (in the SEOG), it should be about the same,'’ Vignoul says. But he is quick to recognize that any added money is welcome. And, the addition to the SEOG "might free up some money and make my life a bit easier,” Vignoul says. The financial aid office has a new payment schedule set for the PELL Grants, but Vignoul says that total award packages shouldn't increase substan tially. Vignoul also adds that the National Direct Student Loan program is the har dest hit by cuts in financial aid He notes that in the 1980-81 school year, NDSLs totaled nearly $3 million, this year the loan total is expected to be about $2 2 million But the good news now may be over shadowed by the impending vote on the balanced budget amendement. The constitutional amendment is something National Association of Student Finan cial Aid officials and Vignoul say would either eliminate or reduce substantially the money allocated for several pro grams — including the federal financial aid program. The Senate has already voted 69-31 in favor of the amendment. The measure is expected to be discussed in the House by the middle of September. If passed, it then goes to individual states for ra tification.
