President Barack Obama has certainly lived up to the widely held belief that he would be an ambitious leader. With a stimulus package estimated to eventually cost $816 billion already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, the new president is facing widespread criticism for both the amount of money he wants to spend and what he wants to spend it on.

One of the provisions that has drawn criticism is a proposed $15.6 billion for increasing the size of Pell Grants, which are designed to provide free financial aid to low-income university students. If the stimulus package passed, the maximum amount that could be given to a student in the form of a Pell Grant would increase from $4,850 to $5,350. Many House Republicans have opposed the measure, arguing Pell Grants are not a form of short-term stimulus.

We are convinced an increase in the size of Pell Grants is a valid addition to this bill. Not only are Pell Grants a critical means of increasing the country’s educational capital in the future, but the argument that the bill as it stands is entirely devoted to short-term growth belies the facts. The Congressional Budget Office estimates only 61.7 percent of the bill will be spent by the end of 2010.

Additionally, we are not fully confident Obama will have the opportunity to increase education spending in future bills. Given that the massive size of the stimulus bill and subsequent bailouts will result in a large budget deficit, funding for higher education will likely be low on the list of priorities for Congress later in the session.

Therefore, it is essential that Pell Grants be increased before they face heavier opposition in later congressional votes. In the interest of higher education, we strongly encourage our elected leaders to consider both the interests of students and the long-term health of the country when voting on this bill.