Federal Pell grants for students across the country would remain at the same levels as last year under President George W. Bush's proposed budget for 2005, but Penn State is still hoping to pressure lawmakers into allocating more money for the grants.

The grants, which are based on students' financial need, have been increasing over the years but not in proportion to the increases in tuition, said Bob Snyder, director of staff training and administrative services in the Office of Student Aid.

"The [federal budget] deadline's actually Sept. 30," said Susan Grimm, director of federal relations in Penn State's Office of Governmental Affairs. "There's a long process ahead."

Because the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate will have the opportunity to amend the 2005 budget, Grimm said there is still hope the Pell grants would see an increase next year.

"It has been increasing just slightly each year," Snyder said.

Snyder said that at Penn State, almost 16,000 undergraduate students received Pell grants in the 2002-2003 academic year. The grants for undergraduates only. "Federal Pell grants have not increased at the level that tuition has increased, so more and more families have turned to loans to make up the difference," he said.

Under Bush's proposal, the maximum Pell grant would remain at $4,050, but Grimm said there are some proposals for significant increases.

She said she and the other 60 members of the Student Aid Alliance are pushing for a proposed increase in the maximum grant to $5,100. "We're supportive of any increase we can get, too," Grimm said. "I'm hopeful that there will be some level of increase in the program. It's always a challenge for us."

She said she communicates often with staff from the office of Sen. Arlen Specter, R- Pa., urging him to vote for more increases in allocations for federal student aid programs. "Their door is always open to Penn State, as I can say for the entire delegation," she said. "We have been successful in the past and we will continue to work toward that."

Another bill introduced in the House of Representatives would give students with better academic records an extra $1,000. High school students who took more advanced courses would be eligible, and college students would need to maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep the extra money.

"I think it definitely should be for people with a higher GPA," Matonis said. "I think it would be nice that if you do all this work, you would be getting something out of it."

But such a plan could be dangerous, Anna Griswold, assistant vice provost for enrollment management and student aid, said in an e-mail message.

"There's nothing wrong with this idea in an environment where federal aid is adequate to ensure access for needy students. But we are not there," she said. She said that because she feels the current Pell grants are inadequate -- covering on average 27 percent of in-state tuition -- she fears a merit-based component could mean students from poor-performing high schools with fewer opportunities would not be given the chance to attend college.

Grimm said it is discouraging to see that Bush's proposed budget does not call for an increase in Pell grants, but she said Penn State and others would continue to lobby for more funds.

"By no means is it over," she said.