Access to higher education may be curtailed for some students as Congress and the president continue their debate about funding federal student-aid programs, say UC Davis financial-aid officials. "As the cost of education has increased, the amount of federal and state student-aid dollars has not increased proportionately, and as this year's budget battle rages on, there is discussion of even reducing the total amount of loan money available to students," says Patricia Kearney, acting director of financial aid at UC Davis. For example, legislators are debating whether to place a "cap" on the amount of dollars that can be awarded to students directly from the federal government. This direct-lending program has been beneficial for UC Davis students, since it eliminates the lender bank from the loan process, enabling students to receive a check faster and without the added costs of processing fees that the banks charge. On Tuesday, April 9, at noon, UC Davis is hosting a town hall meeting on financial aid in the Cabernet Room of the Silo. U.S. Representative Vic Fazio will speak on the congressional bottleneck and what students should know about the federal budget battle. In addition, campus financial aid leaders will also be available to provide helpful information on how the potential cuts in financial aid would impact students.