Kelly Joins Colleagues in Push to Strengthen Federal Pell Grant Program

Lawmakers: “The Pell Grant is the cornerstone of federal student aid, and currently helps over 6 million students pursue higher education in the United States.”

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and 42 of their colleagues in a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), encouraging them to provide robust investment in the Pell Grant program for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025). In the letter, the senators request a discretionary increase to the award as Congress works towards doubling the Pell Grant for students.  

“We remain concerned that the value of the Pell Grant has steadily declined since it was first created – now covering the lowest share of the cost of attendance in its 50-year history,” wrote the senators. “Increasing the maximum award would provide a substantial investment toward reversing this decades-long decline.” 

Specifically, the letter requests that the discretionary allocation for the Pell Grant effectively: 

• Meets the needs of students; 
• Protects all Pell Grant program reserves; and  
• Expands eligibility to students who have been historically excluded or previously cut out from being eligible for the Pell Grant. 

“The need for Congress to provide robust investment in the Pell Grant program is clear. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, students are still struggling just to meet their basic needs as they pursue higher education,” continued the senators. “It is critically important that the Subcommittee continues to protect all Pell Grant reserves from any reallocation, raid, or rescission that would hasten any shortfalls in the program.” 

“The Pell Grant is the cornerstone of federal student aid, and currently helps over 6 million students pursue higher education in the United States,” the senators concluded. “With a continued investment in the Pell Grant, we can better extend educational opportunity to more students from low- and moderate- income families, who will be critical to meeting the demand for a highly educated-workforce.” 

In addition to Kelly and Hirono, the letter is signed by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherron Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA).   

The full text of the letter is available here.