Voters made their decision on local school budgets this week, but Washington is still trying to hammer out details on next year's federal budget. Some proposed education cuts for college students could impact hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Our Solomon Syed reports.

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NEW YORK STATE -- "My mother's a single parent, raising three daughters and we've always been encouraged to college and get an education," said Alison Sifflet.

She's fulfilling that dream as a psychology major at Siena College. This, however, would not be possible, without a federal Pell Grant.

"The things that I've learned and the skills that I've gained, I'm just so thankful," said Sifflet.

The Pell program gives up to $5,550 to underprivileged college students to help pay for tuition, books and other academic needs. Best of all, it's not a loan and it doesn't have to be repaid.

"Any dollar decrease in the financial aid they're receiving could have an impact on their access to attending a college," said Mary Lawyer, the associate vice president for Enrollment Management at Siena College.

Lawyer estimates 600 Siena students receive Pell Grants, about 20 percent of the student body.

Yet Congress is weighing possible cuts to Pell funding as it negotiates next year's budget. Among various proposals, one possibility is to reduce the maximum amount of aid to each student by more than $800, putting their degree opportunities at risk.

"We need to create the next generation of leaders for this nation and these types of programs are critical to be able to do that," said Laura Anglin, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities.

Anglin is also the former state budget director and says New York ranks fourth in the nation for total dollar value of Pell Grants received: $1.8 billion.

"I've sat with students in the past, they've said to me '$75 may not seem like a lot to you, but it's the world to me,'" said Anglin.

That's a reality the 465,000 college students across the state who receive Pell assistance know all too well.

"Anything that can help is good," said Sifflet. "Being here, I've grown tremendously."

Something for Congress to consider as it works to reduce our nation's debt.