Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, alongside 42 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations leaders encouraging them to increase funding for the Pell Grant program in the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) government funding bills.
“[W]e remain concerned that the value of the Pell Grant has steadily declined since it was first created – now covering the lowest share of the cost of attendance in its 50-year history. Increasing the maximum award would provide a substantial investment toward reversing this decades-long decline,” continued the senators.
As more students face food and housing insecurity, the senators call on Senate leaders to include sufficient funding in the upcoming government funding bills to increase maximum awards, expand eligibility, and extend more awards to historically underrepresented students.
“The Pell Grant is the cornerstone of federal student aid, and currently helps over 6 million students pursue higher education in the United States,” wrote Bennet, Hickenlooper, and the senators. “With a continued investment in the Pell Grant, we can better extend educational opportunity to more students from low- and moderate- income families, who will be critical to meeting the demand for a highly educated-workforce.”
A former school superintendent, Bennet has repeatedly worked to make college more affordable – including earlier this year by pushing the U.S. Department of Education to address issues in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ensure that every student receives the Pell Grants for which they are eligible.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Chair Baldwin and Ranking Member Capito:
As you begin your work on Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) appropriations, we urge the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee to make sure the discretionary allocation for the Pell Grant effectively meets the needs of students, protects all Pell Grant program reserves, and expands eligibility to students who have been historically excluded or previously cut out from being eligible for the Pell Grant. We respectfully request you provide a discretionary increase to the award as Congress works toward doubling the Pell Grant for students.
We appreciate the LHHS Subcommittee’s work to increase the Pell Grant maximum award in recent years. But we remain concerned that the value of the Pell Grant has steadily declined since it was first created – now covering the lowest share of the cost of attendance in its 50-year history. Increasing the maximum award would provide a substantial investment toward reversing this decades-long decline.
The need for Congress to provide robust investment in the Pell Grant program is clear. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are still struggling just to meet their basic needs as they pursue higher education. Recently, for example, the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) reported that 29 percent of the students they surveyed were food insecure, and 14 percent were housing insecure. Especially at a time of expected shortfalls in the Pell Grant program, it is critically important that the Subcommittee continues to protect all Pell Grant reserves from any reallocation, raid, or rescission that would hasten any shortfalls in the program. Pell Grant funds should be retained in the program to increase the maximum award, reverse prior eligibility cuts, and provide new opportunities to provide higher education to historically underrepresented students.
The Pell Grant is the cornerstone of federal student aid, and currently helps over 6 million students pursue higher education in the United States. With a continued investment in the Pell Grant, we can better extend educational opportunity to more students from low- and moderate- income families, who will be critical to meeting the demand for a highly educated-workforce.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the Pell Grant. We appreciate your consideration of these requests.