I am writing in regard to Scott Rank’s Sept. 11 article, “Thousands of ISU students may lose Pell Grants.” Being a Pell Grant recipient myself, I was a bit shocked by the headline, at least until I read the rest of the story and realized the headline wasn’t true.

The article notes that 84,000 college students nationwide who received Pell Grants this year will not receive them again next year as a result of a Department of Education’s formula adjustment. However, the article does not note this number is out of 4.8 million students currently benefitting from the program. By applying this ratio to Iowa State’s approximately 5,200 recipients, it becomes clear the headline should have more accurately read, “Dozens of ISU students may lose Pell Grants.”

It is true that some Pell Grant recipients will have to come up with more money for tuition next year, though how many or how much is not yet known. However, this does not excuse such a needlessly alarming headline run on the front page.

Robert McMahon

Junior

Mechanical Engineering