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Green River College president warns proposed federal cuts to Pell, TRIO and adult education could bar hundreds from campus
Summary
Dr. Suzanne Johnson said congressional proposals to reduce Pell eligibility and eliminate TRIO and adult basic education grants would threaten hundreds of Green River College students and the college’s ability to serve first-generation and low-income learners.
Dr. Suzanne Johnson, president of Green River College, said proposed federal changes to student aid and grant programs could prevent many low-income and first-generation students from attending the Auburn-area college.
"There are some proposals that would reduce eligibility for Pell," Johnson said. "We're greatly concerned about the proposal for reducing Pell to our students. And we know at Green River that would affect hundreds of students every year." She also identified TRIO — a federal grant program serving first-generation, low-income students — as at risk.
The concern comes as Green River relies on a mix of state funding and federal grants. Johnson described federal financial aid and grant programs as essential supports that fund staff, tutoring, mentoring and transfer assistance. "TRIO is a program that serves first generation, low income ... students," she said, noting the grants typically run on five-year cycles and fund staff who provide advising, tutoring, mentorship and campus visits that help students transfer or enter STEM careers.
Johnson said adult basic education programs are also threatened under current congressional proposals. She stressed those programs help people "break out of intergenerational poverty" and argued they enjoy bipartisan support because they demonstrably increase employment and earnings for participants.
Johnson urged community members to learn more and to contact elected officials. She pointed listeners to national organizations such as the American Association of Community Colleges and offered to discuss local impacts: "If you're inspired, you know, you can always reach out to me too. I'm happy to talk with you about that." She also thanked Washington state legislators for buffering recent state budget cuts to colleges.
The remarks were made during an interview on the That's So Auburn podcast and reflect the college’s assessment of current legislative proposals rather than any enacted change. Johnson did not give a precise tally of the number of students who would lose eligibility, saying only that cuts would affect "hundreds of students every year."
