Congresswoman Lee, Congressman Casten Introduce the Pell Grant Sustainability Act to Ensure Financial Aid Keeps Up with Inflation

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) and Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Pell Grant Sustainability Act to ensure the Pell Grants' value keeps pace with rising higher education costs by indexing the grants to inflation.

"I was fortunate to have a Pell Grant when I went to college, but as the cost of higher education surges, these grants now cover the smallest share of tuition ever – it's time for Pell Grants to catch up," said Congresswoman Susie Lee. "My career has been dedicated to improving education outcomes for our most at-risk students, so I know that rising education costs are forcing students to take on crippling debt or abandon their education altogether. As a lifelong education advocate, I'm proud to re-introduce the Pell Grant Sustainability Act with Congressman Casten, so Pell Grants can get back to doing what they were intended to do – making the dream of affordable higher education a reality for every American."

"With college tuition skyrocketing and working families' wages stagnating, it's becoming nearly impossible for many students to pursue higher education," said Congressman Sean Casten. "Our Pell Grant system has made major inroads to help Americans of all backgrounds earn their degrees, but this success will not be sustained if the value of these grants continues to diminish as costs rise. I'm proud to introduce the Pell Grant Sustainability Act with Congresswoman Lee to ensure these grants continue to open doors to education for generations to come."

Pell Grants make it possible for more than 6 million Americans annually to attend college. However, the purchasing power of the Federal Pell Grant has been in rapid decline. In the academic year 1974-1975, the total maximum Federal Pell Grant covered more than 80% of base educational costs at public 4-year institutions of higher education. By the academic year 2020-2021, the maximum Pell Grant covered less than 30% of those costs. This legislation would keep pace with students' costs in order to fulfill the Pell Grant's mission to enable lower-income students to attend college.

Endorsing organizations of this legislation include:
• American Federation of Teachers
• National Education Association
• American Association of Colleges and Universities
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
• Institute for College Access and Success
• National College Attainment Network
• Institute for Higher Education Policy

The full list of supporting organizations can be found here.

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