How Can Congress Improve College Affordability & Permanently Reduce Reliance on Student Debt? Double the Maximum Pell Grant & Restore State Investment in Public Colleges

As lawmakers look to improve college affordability, close racial and economic equity gaps in college completion, and reduce reliance on student debt, they must take a comprehensive approach that includes doubling the maximum Pell Grant, securing and strengthening the Pell Grant program, and creating a new federal-state funding partnership to restore state investment in higher education, lower net costs for students, improve institutional quality, and stabilize funding across economic cycles.

This policy brief outlines how policymakers should make these investments in tandem to ensure that all students, regardless of means, have the option to earn an affordable, high-quality degree.