GeorgeWBush.com Get involved! Join the Bush E-Train Gov. Bush's plan to make college more affordab

Governor Bush will make a college education more attainable for all Americans
Carly, I appreciate your question and I am glad that you are making the decision to go to college.

I have outlined a plan to make college education more attainable for all Americans (PDF document).

College tuition has increased three times as fast as household incomes over the past twenty years, making it difficult for some families and students to afford college. During the same period, tuition for public and private college students has increased more than 200 percent on average and more than 4 percent over the last year. I will work to make college more affordable for more students by expanding student financial aid.

Here in Texas, I signed legislation creating the $100 million Texas Grant Program, to help academically qualified, low income students achieve their dream of a college education.

As president, I will favor a simple, well-proven delivery system of aid to our college students. The Pell grant program, for example, has proven to be very effective in opening the doors of opportunity to millions of Americans. I believe we should build on successful programs rather than create new ones. I believe the existing system of federal aid, which includes student grants, loans, work-study opportunities, campus-based programs, and tax code provisions is too complex and cumbersome.

To build on the Pell grant program, my administration would will fully fund it and increase grants for first-year students to $5,100 from their current level of $3,300. This is an increase of more than 50 percent and I hope will encourage as many as 800,000 new students every year to attend college. In addition, my administration would reward students who take and pass rigorous courses in high school with additional money for college through enhanced Pell Grants. For instance, students who pass Advanced Placement math and science exams or college math and science level courses would receive an additional $1,000 to pay for college tuition.

Also, my $1.5 billion "College Challenge" Grant program will cover one-third of state costs to establish merit based scholarships that reward students for taking rigorous curriculums.