Published: April 2016

Protect Pell Grant funding for students

As House and Senate Appropriations Committees prepare to announce top line allocations, advocates urged Congress to protect Pell Grant funding from being reallocated for any other non-Pell Grant related programs. Despite strong opposition last year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to cut the maximum Pell Grant for students by at least $845 and eliminate $56 billion more in mandatory funding for Pell Grants over the next 10 years. These cuts reduce or eliminate Pell Grants for nearly 9 million students, making it impossible for many to receive a higher education.

In a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Consumer Action and coalition advocates reminded legislators of the importance of federally funded Pell Grants as a means to higher education for millions of students, including those who hail from low-income communities. In prior budget agreements, changes to student aid eligibility reduced Pell Grants by more than $50 million, making it impossible for many to get the education and training that they and our workforce need to succeed.

Lead Organization

The Education Trust

Other Organizations

American Association of Collegiate Registrars | American Association of University Women | Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities | Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) | Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) | Consumer Action | Generation Progress | Higher Ed, Not Debt | Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities | NAACP | National Association for College Admission Counseling | National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education | National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators | National College Access Network | National Council of La Raza | Student Debt Crisis | The Education Trust | The Institute for College and Success | U.S. PIRG | United Negro College Fund

More Information

For more information, visit the Education Trust's website.

Download PDF

Protect Pell Grant funding for students   (Pell_CoalitionLetter_April2016.pdf)