Love it or hate it, we’ve all heard of Valentine’s Day. However, there’s an even better holiday that you are sure to love regardless of your relationship status - PELLentine’s Day! From putting college within reach of students from low-income backgrounds
to reducing student loan debt, there is plenty of reasons to celebrate our love for the Pell Grant this year.
Aside from the fact that Pell celebrated its 50th year of helping millions of students to afford a higher education—which is already an incredible feat on its own—there is one more noteworthy achievement that should be celebrated recently: the grant program
saw a $500 increase for the 2023-24 award year with the passage of last year's
federal spending bill. This substantial increase follows last year’s increase of $400, which makes those two boosts the largest increase in the maximum award in over a decade which brings the maximum award to $7,395.
This is so important as, "these historic investments are recognition that postsecondary education (inclusive of public institutions) is too often financially out of reach for many Americans who need it to improve their lifetime career option," said NCAN
CEO Kim Cook. "At a time when Congress struggles to find agreement on many critical issues, we can celebrate the shared belief in the value of education beyond high school for those who struggle to afford it, disproportionately students of color and
first-generation Americans."
However, there is still more work to do to restore the Pell Grant’s purchasing power to half the average cost of attendance for a bachelor’s degree at an in-state, public institution. For context, the Grant is currently worth less than 30% of the average cost of attendance of a four-year university. Compare that to the mid-1970s when it was worth more than three-fourths. That's why the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) and nearly 1,200 other organizations joined together to urge Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant.
Hence, this Valentine’s Day, we’re asking you to show your love and support for the Pell Grant with PELLentine’s Day instead! To do so, feel free to use one of our posts found on the Social Press Kit to celebrate with us, or you can tell us why the Pell Grant matters to you on social media with the hashtag #BeMyPELLentine.
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