U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan is calling on congressional leadership to ensure that all available resources in the Pell Grant program are used to improve college affordability. Pell Grants currently serve nearly 8 million students, including 150,000 in Minnesota.
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan has joined his colleagues in calling on leadership in the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations and the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Subcommittee to ensure that all available resources in the Pell Grant program are used to improve college access and affordability for low-income students.
“As a former teacher, I know there is no better investment than in the education of our next generation,” Nolan said. “The heart of our economic success as a nation is education and preparation of our youth. We must ensure that students from low-income families have fair and equal access to our higher education institutions.”
Today’s max Pell Grant currently covers an average of less than 30 percent of college costs at public universities – the lowest share in four decades. Pell Grants serve nearly 8 million students across the nation and over 150,000 in Minnesota, most from families earning $40,000 or less.
Increasing the maximum discretionary award from $4,860 to $5,000 will put much-needed money in the pockets of low-income students and, when paired with the supplemental funding provided in statute, set us on a path to restore the purchasing power of Pell,” said Nolan.
Leave a Reply