Affording to live: The importance of modernizing the Pell Grant
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant allows us to honor its incredible influence over the decades, as well as to recognize the need for its expansion. In order to effectively assist current and future generations of students, need-based financial aid programs like the Pell Grant are essential for closing the education equity gap.
The Institute for College & Success (TICAS) recently held an event to commemorate the Pell Grant’s influential legacy. College Success Foundation’s President and CEO, James Dorsey, was joined by dozens of attendees and constituents over Zoom, as well as in-person in Washington D.C. Leading the presentation was Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, a longtime proponent of improving educational access and affordability. Referring to the Pell Grant as an “unmitigated success story,” Sen. Reed highlighted its history to underscore the need for Pell Grant expansion.
The Pell Grant’s history rooted in equity
Often considered the cornerstone of student financial aid, Pell Grants were born from the Educational Amendments of 1972. These amendments prohibited financial aid discrimination on the basis of sex and ultimately established a federal loan program that did not require students to repay funds. Sen. Reed noted that prior to the Pell Grant’s inception, less than half of high school graduates enrolled in college. But thanks to its monumental impact over the last half a century, the national percentage has increased to roughly two-thirds.
Michelle Asha Cooper, of the U.S. Department of Education, reasserted that the “impact of the Pell Grant is indisputable.” In the pursuit of higher education, the Pell Grant acts as a “beacon” for underserved students. As many of the students CSF supports can attest, young people are “priced out of higher education,” Cooper mentioned. This reveals a disparity which primarily affects low-income, disadvantaged Black and Brown communities. What’s more, because the Pell Grant award amount has not kept pace with inflation, students now face the added pressure of having to take on multiple jobs even with Pell assistance. Cooper suggested the current administration’s plan of increasing the Pell Grant by $2,175 would be a productive and necessary measure to better meet the demands of today’s college students.
When student voices matter most
Current Pell Grant recipients and student mentors then took the stage for a Q&A moderated by Olivia Sanchez of The Hechinger Report. Coming from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, most of these students were the first in their families to consider college. Though Pell Grants unlocked the door for each panelist, additional scholarships and supplemental income became necessary steps in pursuing their degrees.
The hardest thing is being able to afford to live.
The students discussed their need to take on multiple jobs while being enrolled in full-time college courses and extracurriculars. While the extra income proved crucial, it also produced additional stress and anxiety, with some students at times even wondering if they should persist. The question of persistence is a dilemma CSF advisors are uniquely familiar with. Our advisors support students who feel immense pressure to not just do well in school, but also make ends meet for their families. Panelist Amanda, who worked three jobs while enrolled, “didn’t realize how expensive it was,” stressing that “the hardest thing is being able to afford to live.”
Recipient Michelle talked about how additional expenses like transportation and rent frequently ate into her family’s finances. Family support was particularly troublesome during the pandemic, when many households filed for unemployment. Several of the students found themselves depending on additional scholarships and loans, some incurring debts upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. While Pell Grants certainly facilitate higher ed opportunities for many low-income students and families, their assistance can only go so far throughout a recipient’s entire college career.
Aside from living expenses, the students encountered additional obstacles throughout their tenure. Isabella discussed the plights and frustrations she and her mentored students confronted while transitioning from virtual to in-person courses as the pandemic subsided. Before attaining a solid network of mentors, she noted how difficult it was to understand what resources were available to her. Another recipient, Javier, discussed the mental anguish of working long nights while taking full-time courses. He often wondered if he would wind up as just another “retention statistic.” When asked about financial aid office assistance, multiple students suggested that inefficiencies within campus offices can create undue hurdles for students simply trying to persist towards their futures.
Take action to expand the Pell Grant
The Pell Grant’s influence has been undeniably massive throughout the past 50 years. Without Pell Grants, roughly 80 million students would not have been able to attend school while acting as role models for new generations of students in need. But over time, the limitations resulting from a lack of stable, scalable funding have become more apparent.
In order to alleviate recipients from excessive financial burdens, the #DoublePell campaign advocates for increasing the Pell Grant to a maximum annual payout of $13,000. This would mark significant progress towards modernizing Pell Grants for the 21st century. But ongoing political roadblocks could hamper progress. Until the Pell Grant is significantly expanded, students will continue to rely on additional scholarships and donations to achieve their dreams of higher education. Please consider donating to the College Success Foundation to further assist both Pell recipients and other students working tirelessly to attain the college educations they deserve. Sign the #DoublePell petition and make your voice heard.