FY 19 Appropriations Priorities

Increasing the Maximum Award

In 1980, the maximum Pell Grant award covered 76 percent of the cost of attendance at a public university.¹ Today, it covers just over 29 percent, the lowest portion in over 40 years.² Pell’s purchasing power will further decrease with the expiration of automatic inflation adjustments in 2018.

• For FY19, the maximum Pell Grant award should be increased to at least $6,230.
• Congress should restore the mandatory adjustment for inflation and set an ambitious plan to reverse the downward trend of Pell’s purchasing power.

Restoring Pell Eligibility to Students Who Are Incarcerated

Research shows that correctional education programs reduce the rate of recidivism by 43 percent, increase the rate of employment after release by 13 percent, and are associated with fewer violent incidents in participating prisons.³ These programs result in net savings to taxpayers and are significantly more cost efficient than incarceration alone. There are also significant intergenerational benefits for the more than 5 million children with a parent who is or has been incarcerated.⁴

• Congress should strike paragraph 6 of section 401(b) in the Higher Education Act and restore Pell eligibility to students who are incarcerated and in high-quality programs that support students toward a degree.