Senate Passes Aid Measure for College Students

The Senate voted 91 to 1 Tuesday night to extend a multibillion-dollar program offering grants and loans to nearly 3 million college students.

Before clearing the measure, senators took advantage of a parliamentary ploy by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) that allowed them to express their opposition to busing of children to achieve racial balance in the nation’s schools.

The bipartisan bill to extend the Higher Education Act of 1965 would authorize about $9.6 billion over the next five years--with more than 95% of the money to go for grants, loans and other direct aid to students.

Maneuvering by Helms

It was passed after the Senate voted 55 to 45 against killing an amendment by Helms to forbid federal judges from ordering the busing of children more than five miles from their homes.

Helms, who cast the lone vote against the bill, made the motion to kill his own amendment after saying he was doing so to give senators the opportunity to go on record against busing.

“It is there for all to see how the Senate feels about forced busing,” he said. “Eighty percent of the parents of America, black and white, are opposed to busing. It is an excercise in folly that has gone on too long.”

Less Than in House Bill

The bill to authorize about $9.6 billion for educational programs exceeds an Administration request for $6.2 billion, but is less than the $10.7 billion called for in a House-passed bill. Differences will have to be worked out in joint conference.

The bill would increase annual Pell grants from $2,100 to $2,300 in 1987 and to a maximum of $3,100 by 1991. They would only go to students whose families have after-tax incomes of less than $30,000 a year.

Annual government-guaranteed loans would be limited to $3,000 for freshmen and sophomores, to $4,000 for juniors and seniors, and to $7,500 for graduate students.