$260 Increase
in Maximum Award is First in 4 Years
Statement of
U.S. PIRG Higher Education Advocate Luke Swarthout
The House voted 286 to 140 today to increase the maximum
Pell Grant award by $260 to $4,310. The
vote, to pass the Fiscal Year 2007 budget marks the first increase in the
maximum grant award since 2002.
The Pell Grant is the federal government’s premier program
to ensure that all Americans have access to a college education. Today’s vote is a great step toward restoring
the purchasing power of the Pell Grant and delivering on our nation’s promise
of accessible and affordable education.