Statement from The Education Trust on the President’s Proposal to Use Pell Grant Dollars on Non-Educational Programs
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2019) – “The Education Trust stands in opposition to the President’s revised budget proposal to further raid the Pell Grant reserve to fund non-education priorities. The Pell Grant program is the bedrock of federal financial aid for students with the highest financial need. Nearly eight million students from low-income families, many of whom are students of color, rely on Pell Grant dollars to afford to go to college each year. Yet, the President’s proposal would accelerate projected funding shortfalls and weaken students’ ability to pursue a college degree, which is increasingly more valuable to succeed in today’s economy.
“Congress should outright reject this proposal and instead, double the maximum Pell Grant award, restore the annual adjustment for inflation, and keep Pell Grant dollars within the program.”
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