WILMINGTON, Del. — This morning, U.S. Representative John Carney (D-DE) visited the University of Delaware’s Newark campus to tour the Patrick T. Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Laboratory and to discuss his legislation, the SMART Grant Reauthorization Act. This bill would provide up to $4,000 grants through the Pell grant program to low-income students majoring in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math field. Carney was joined by the Dean of the College of Engineering Dr. Babatunde Ogunnaike and UD student Amy Nicolas, a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering.

 

Congressman Carney said, “I’ve heard from employers across Delaware who struggle to find individuals trained in STEM fields. And I heard again this morning that one of the biggest challenges students face in completing STEM programs is the overwhelming cost. As an increasingly important part of our economy, it is crucial that we continue to encourage students to pursue a STEM education. We also need to ensure they have the resources to make it happen. This legislation provides another tool for students interested in STEM careers to graduate and excel in an increasingly competitive international workforce.”

 

The SMART Grant Reauthorization Act enables students from low- and middle-income families to better afford a degree in critical STEM fields. The bill reauthorizes a program that awards $4,000 SMART Grants to eligible college Juniors and Seniors who are both majoring in the STEM fields and Pell Grant recipients. Eligible recipients must be pursuing a major in the physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering and have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. 

 

Federal Pell Grants are awarded on a sliding scale based on financial need, up to $5,500 per year. They do not need to be repaid, and so do not contribute to students’ loan burden upon graduation. The SMART grants are in addition to the base Pell Grant award. The original Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant program expired in 2011.

 

The SMART Grant Reauthorization Act is one in a series of bills Congressman Carney has introduced to address the rising cost of college.  Last week, Congressman Carney proposed legislation that would create personalized education savings accounts for students from low- and middle-income families earlier in their high school careers. This legislation shows students a tangible investment in their education and gives them more time to plan for college and their careers.  

 

Over the past three decades, college costs have gone up 570%. They’ve increased at four times the median household income, and twice as fast as health care costs. Total U.S. student loan debt recently topped $1 trillion, which surpassed the total owed on both auto loans and credit card debt. 

 

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Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Congressman John Carney; Amy Nicolas, a UD Junior majoring in Chemical Engineering; and Dr. Babatunde Ogunnaike, Dean of the UD College of Engineering, (left to right) at the University of Delaware ISE Lab.

 

Photo 2:  Dr. Babatunde Ogunnaike and Congressman John Carney (right) discussing the challenges in retaining students in STEM fields and the Congressman’s legislation to re-establish SMART grants for low-income students majoring in a STEM program.