About
The Pell Grant program was created to provide opportunity for students who lacked the means to afford college. Serving as the “foundation” federal student aid program, Pell Grants have successfully enabled our nation’s low-income undergraduates to obtain higher education. As such, the program has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Congress.
Because the structure of the program is fundamentally sound, ensuring adequate funding for grants remains the top legislative priority, and NAICU is very supportive of efforts to double the Pell Grant award.
.The amount of the Pell Grant depends on a student’s financial need, status as a full-time or part-time undergraduate student, and whether attendance is for the entire academic year. A student may receive Pell Grant assistance for a maximum of 12 semesters, or the equivalent.
History
The program was created in the Higher Education Amendments of 1972, and thefirst grant was awarded in 1973. The program began as the Basic Education Opportunity Grant, but was renamed after Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI) in 1982.
Because the Pell Grant program is the “foundation” federal student aid program,students must apply for a Pell Grant before their eligibility for other federal student aid programs is determined.
The maximum Pell Grant award is established by Congress for each academic year, Although theaward levels have increased over time, grant awards have not seen much growth in constant dollars, and the percentage of the cost of attendance they cover has decreased.
