Budget bill finally clears Congress. (dateline washington).(Brief Article)

Following months of delicate negotiations, Congress approved a federal education budget for fiscal 2002 that will permit a record $4,000 maximum Pell Grant for needy college students.

The Pell Grant funding level, an increase of $250 from 2001, seemed a sure thing three months ago when the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate endorsed the idea. But progress ground to a halt after new information showed a surge in Pell Grant demand due to the sagging economy. As a result, the government said then, the program would face a funding shortfall heading into 2002.

In the end, however, lawmakers on a special House/Senate conference committee found the extra money -- …