President Bill Clinton’s new financial aid budget could mean good things for students, according to Earl Dowling, director of financial aid at Iowa State.

Dowling, who has advised the federal government on a number of education finance issues, said some of the measures being considered would significantly increase funding for college work-study programs, provide tax credits and other incentives for parents saving for college, and increase the amount of the federal Pell Grant.

“Unlike the last [budget process], the Congress and the White House seem to be on the same page with respect to financial-aid dollars,” Dowling said.

He credits this bipartisan effort for much of Washington’s emphasis on education but stressed the importance of support among students and their parents for the new legislation, which is still “a long way from closure.”

Dowling encourages students to contact their representatives via telephone, mail or e-mail and urge them to vote for the new budget. “We are going to have to make our voices known, that we support education funding.”

Among the initiatives from which students stand to gain the most, Dowling said, are work-study funding, which could nearly double, a 50 percent reduction in student loan fees and an above-the-line tax deduction for interest on student loans.

Parents struggling to finance their children’s education would also benefit. Dowling hopes provisions such as a $10,000 deduction for college, education savings IRA’s and tax credits will encourage parents to save for college.

“The timing is critical,” Dowling said, emphasizing again the need for input from students.

“We need to insure that both the White House and the Congress are made sensitive to our need for these monies.”

Lisa DeWaard, a freshman in journalism and mass communication, is paying for school with Stafford and Perkins loans. She thinks less emphasis should be placed on previous academic performance.

“I get a lot of help, but I know a lot of people who don’t get much … I think it could be improved,” DeWaard said.

Chad Barth, a freshman in political science who receives a Pell Grant as well as Stafford and Perkins loans, said the application process doesn’t take into account enough factors about students and their situations.

He also worries about the fiscal consequences of the proposed reforms. “I’m thankful for student loans, but [increasing funding] while trying to balance the budget is not something you can really do,” he said.