Make Higher Education More Affordable
Magaziner and his colleagues also asked that appropriators secure the long-term affordability impact of the Pell Grant program for future years by indexing the maximum award amount to inflation and ensuring that funding for the program is fully mandatory.
“For nearly 50 years, Pell Grants have provided much needed financial assistance to low-income families, unlocking higher education opportunities for millions of students. However, Pell Grants are simply not keeping up with the rising cost of tuition,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner.
“Building on the outstanding legacy of Senator Claiborne Pell, we must make sure that all students, no matter their socio-economic status, can access a college education. By investing in Pell Grants, we will reinforce our national commitment to progress, moving our country forward by ensuring that the next generation of leaders has access to the education they deserve.”
Pell Grants are a cornerstone of our nation’s student financial aid system, but today they cover less than one-third of the average cost of attendance at a public four-year university, the lowest share of tuition in the program’s history.
Increased tuition costs, as well expenses like textbooks, housing, food, and transportation, have drastically diminished Pell Grant’s purchasing power, placing greater strain on the students and families that the program was designed to help.
Congress increased the maximum annual Pell Grant to $7,395 for the 2023-2024 award year, reflecting an increase of $500 and the largest increase in 10 years. However, this still falls short of what is needed to make college affordable to the lowest-income students.
Congress must increase the annual Pell Grant to $13,000, which on
average would cut student debt at least in half for eligible recipients, helping
an estimated 25.2 million students per year.
Read full text of letter here:
March 24, 2023
|
The Honorable Robert Aderholt |
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro |
Dear Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member DeLauro:
As you begin work on
this year’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
appropriations bill, we ask that you provide robust funding for the Federal
Pell Grant Program in Fiscal Year 2024 in
order to facilitate increasing the maximum individual award to $13,000. We also
ask that appropriators secure the long-term affordability impact of the
Pell Grant program for years to come by indexing the maximum award amount
to inflation and ensuring that funding for the program is fully mandatory,
rather than discretionary. These policy changes will ensure that the
financial support the Pell Grant program provides to students as they
pursue higher education will be insulated from market changes or budget
shortfalls.
We applaud the
Committee for increasing the maximum annual Pell Grant to $7,395 for the 2023-2024
award year, reflecting an increase of $500 and the largest increase in 10
years. However, this still falls short of what is needed to make college
affordable to the lowest-income students. Congress must increase the annual
Pell Grant to $13,000, which on average would cut student debt at least in half
for eligible recipients, helping an estimated 25.2 million students per year. Despite
being the cornerstone of our nation’s student financial aid system, Pell Grants
today cover less than one-third of the average cost of attendance at a public
four-year university, which is the lowest share of tuition in the program’s
history. Increased tuition costs, as well expenses like textbooks, housing,
food, and transportation, have drastically diminished Pell’s purchasing
power. This places greater strain on the students and families that the
program was designed to help. Increasing the maximum Pell Grant will
significantly improve the award’s purchasing power, thus ensuring it will truly
benefit the students and families that need it most.
For nearly 50 years, Pell Grants have provided much needed financial assistance to low-income families, unlocking higher education opportunities for millions of students. Because these grants are awarded solely based upon a student’s financial need and do not have to be repaid, they are often the only vehicle available to low- and moderate-income students to pay for a college education. Strengthening the program will not only make college more affordable, but it will also improve outcomes by providing grant recipients more opportunity to focus on school, helping them cover their basic needs, and eliminating barriers to completion. Helping low- and moderate-income students obtain a college degree will promote equity and strengthen our communities, workforces, and nation. This investment will reinforce our national commitment to promoting opportunity to obtain a college education regardless of family income.
Thank
you again for your attention to this critical issue. We look forward to working
with you on ways to expand access to a quality higher education.
Sincerely,
Auchincloss, Jake; Barragán, Nanette; Beatty, Joyce; Beyer,
Donald; Blumenauer, Earl; Blunt Rochester, Lisa; Bowman, Jamaal; Boyle,
Brendan; Budzinski, Nikki; Carbajal, Salud; Cárdenas, Tony; Casten, Sean;
Castro, Joaquin; Chu, Judy; Cicilline, David; Cleaver, Emanuel; Cohen, Steve;
Connolly, Gerald; Correa, J.; Costa, Jim; Courtney, Joe; Craig, Angie; Crow,
Jason; Davids, Sharice; Davis, Danny; Dean, Madeleine; DeGette, Diana; DelBene,
Suzan; Deluzio, Christopher; DeSaulnier, Mark; Dingell, Debbie; Doggett, Lloyd;
Fletcher, Lizzie; Foster, Bill; Gallego, Ruben; Garamendi, John; Garcia,
Robert; Goldman, Daniel; Gomez, Jimmy; Gonzalez, Vicente; Gottheimer, Josh;
Hayes, Jahana; Higgins, Brian; Himes, James; Hoyle, Val; Huffman, Jared;
Jacobs, Sara; Kamlager-Dove, Sydney; Keating, William; Kelly, Robin; Kim, Andy;
Kuster, Ann; Larsen, Rick; Leger Fernandez, Teresa; Levin, Mike; Lieu, Ted;
Lofgren, Zoe; Magaziner, Seth; Manning, Kathy; Matsui, Doris; McBath, Lucy;
McGarvey, Morgan; McGovern, James; Moore, Gwen; Moulton, Seth; Nadler, Jerrold;
Napolitano, Grace; Neal, Richard; Neguse, Joe; Omar, Ilhan; Pallone, Frank;
Panetta, Jimmy; Pappas, Chris; Pascrell, Bill; Payne, Donald; Peltola, Mary;
Pettersen, Brittany; Phillips, Dean; Pingree, Chellie; Plaskett, Stacey;
Porter, Katie; Pressley, Ayanna; Raskin, Jamie; Ross, Deborah; Ruiz, Raul;
Ryan, Patrick; Sablan, Gregorio; Sánchez, Linda; Sarbanes, John; Schiff, Adam;
Schrier, Kim; Scott, David; Sherman, Brad; Smith, Adam; Strickland, Marilyn;
Swalwell, Eric; Takano, Mark; Thompson, Mike; Titus, Dina; Tlaib, Rashida;
Torres, Ritchie; Trahan, Lori; Vargas, Juan; Waters, Maxine; Wilson, Frederica