The Billion-Dollar Question: Which Students Benefit?

By BECKIE SUPIANO

The new economic-stimulus law includes more than $29-billion in provisions directed at making college more affordable in the next two years. That includes $13.9-billion budgeted over 10 years for education-tax-credit changes in 2009 and 2010, $15-billion in additional Pell Grant support, and $200-million for the Federal Work-Study program. But what will all that money actually do for students?

Virtually every student who already receives a Pell Grant will get a larger one this fall,