Statement of Luke Swarthout,
U.S. PIRG Higher Education Advocate
Last night, the House and Senate
Appropriations released their proposal to increase the maximum Pell Grant award
by $260, to $4,310 in the Fiscal Year 2007 budget. The Pell Grant is the
federal government’s premier need-based grant aid program serving more than
five million low-income students. The House is scheduled to vote on this
bill on Wednesday. If Congress approves this budget it will mean the first
increase to the maximum Pell award in the last four years.
Over the last five years, while
students have paid more for college, the maximum Pell Grant has remained
frozen. As a result students have had to make up the gap between tuition
and aid with more work and larger loans. By budgeting for a $260 increase
Congress will start to provide students with the aid they need to access an
affordable college education.
Congressional leaders should be
commended for making college access and affordability a priority in a
challenging budget climate. We look forward to working with Congress to
pass this increase and then increase the maximum award to $5,100 in the coming
budget cycle.
