June 23 marked the 50th year anniversary of the establishment of the federal Pell Grant program, which distributes need-based grant aid to students towards the cost of college.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, and all of Pell’s success, students and higher education advocates gathered on Capitol Hill, in an event led by The Institute of College Access and Success (TICAS)
and honorary co-host Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).
Since the Pell Grant was established in 1972 to address the growing necessity for financial assistance, it has expanded college access to students from low- and moderate-income families. Over 80 million students have benefited from Pell and have been
able to pursue their postsecondary educational goals.
At the Hill briefing, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, gave remarks about the importance of the Pell Grant program and investing in its
future.
“In 1972, before the Pell Grant, less than half of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college,” Reed said. “Today, two-thirds make that transition... We have a much more educated citizenry than we had without the Pell Grant.”
Reed, who succeeded the Pell Grant’s namesake, Senator Claiborne Pell, emphasized the importance of continuing Pell’s focus, which was to dramatically reduce the reliance on loans, and make it clear that education is a question of talent, initiative,
effort, and desire—not what is in someone’s bank account.
The cost of college-going, and of living, has increased in the past few decades and Pell’s purchasing power has decreased. At its peak in the 1970s, the maximum Pell Grant could have covered over 75% of tuition, fees, and living expenses for a four-year
public university. Today, it covers 30%.
“The purchasing power of the Pell Grant has not been sustained,” Cooper, a former Pell Grant recipient, confirmed. “For many students, that now means that they have to dig deep into their families’ pockets, and when those pockets run dry, they have to
take out loans. We certainly know what effect that has on students’ ability to matriculate into college.”
Following the remarks of these distinguished speakers, a panel of students and recent graduates spoke to their undergraduate experiences and the opportunities that the Pell Grant allowed them to pursue. Although the panelists attended universities in
different states, they shared similar challenges pertaining to college affordability and an ever-changing learning environment created by the pandemic.
Michelle Vasquez, a graduate from Trinity Washington University, applied to over 150 scholarships and received a Pell Grant, yet she still couldn’t afford to live on campus and had to commute to school instead. Amanda Hailey, a graduate from SUNY Buffalo,
received both the Pell Grant and state grants through New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), but still had to work three jobs and take out $13,000 in loans to afford to live.
The pandemic brought in a new slate of challenges for students and deepened those that already existed. Javier Perez, a graduate from Rutgers University, worked two jobs during the pandemic to support himself, but was unable to purchase a new laptop for
virtual classes when his broke. The laptop his school loaned to him was unreliable, causing him to miss out on his classes. Anir Mahanty, a graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University, left his toxic household and became homeless. As an independent
student, he received the Pell Grant which helped him pay for tuition, but still had to work two jobs. This experience almost led him to drop out of college.
“The college experience is not the same as when the Pell Grant was first introduced,” undergraduate student at UC Berkeley Issabella Romo said. “Students that started college virtually during the pandemic are experiencing many more challenges as they
transition back in-person.”
Since the pandemic, college enrollment numbers continue to decline and potentially millions of students are not returning to higher education, Cooper explained. The Pell Grant can be a beacon for encouraging people to pursue their education and making
sure that students have the funds to help them go to college.
The panelists envisioned what could have been possible in their college experience, if the Pell Grant had offered a more robust of an award. Vasquez would have lived on campus. Perez would not have had to take out a loan. Hailey would have attended a
Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Mahanty would have participated in more clubs and extracurricular activities.
More than 70% of HBCU students are Pell-eligible, Cooper said. Without the Pell Grant, all Pell-eligible students would be locked out and priced out of a college education. Increasing the purchasing power of the Pell Grant will ensure that more students
are not priced out of college.
“It’s time to restore the promise of the Pell Grant, and we need to double the grant,” Reed said. “Get this grant in the hands of Americans all over this country, and invest in them and invest in our country.”
NCAN members – call to action:
Given the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant program, NCAN asks that our members reach out to their federal representatives to express support for Pell. To advocate for Pell’s future, please visit NCAN's Action Center.
There you can easily contact your representatives. We have drafted text for you, and it only takes a minute!
Email to a Friend