March 25, 2021
The U.S. Pell Grant program is a critical form of investment in college affordability. Pell Grants help support millions of low- and moderate-income students in their pursuit of higher education every year. They are particularly important for students of color and for those with student debt burdens.
At a time when the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and economic inequity, and the related drops in college enrollment, an increase in Pell Grant funding is essential. In support of students, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges joined nearly 1,200 other organizations and individual colleges and universities in signing on to a letter written by The Institute for College Access & Success urging Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant and permanently index the grant to inflation.
In the letter, supporters wrote:
“The Pell Grant program is the nation’s foundational investment in higher education. Pell Grants help nearly seven million low- and moderate-income students attend and complete college annually. Students from all 50 states and all corners of the country — from rural areas to cities to everywhere in between — rely on the Pell Grant program to build their future. Pell Grants are especially critical for students of color, with nearly 60 percent of Black students, half of American Indian or Alaska Native students, and nearly half of Latinx students receiving a Pell Grant each year.
However, the share of college costs covered by the grant is at an all-time low. At its peak, the maximum grant covered three-quarters of the cost of attending a four-year public college. Now, it covers less than one-third of that cost.”
To read the full letter, click here.
