Economic Report:

By Jesse Russell

Federal grants are having a hard time keeping up with the rising cost of college tuition. That's according to the Economic Policy Institute citing a report from the College Board. EPI says that one of the largest sources of federal aid for low-income college students, Pell Grants, now only cover about a third of the average tuition of a four-year public school. From 1985-1986 the same grant would on average cover 57 percent. The last increase for the Pell Grant was in 2003 when Congress bumped it up by $50 - college prices; on the other hand, have risen by 25 percent over the last five years.