Pell Grants

In February 2026, the Congressional Budget Office released new funding projections for the Pell Grant program. Absent congressional action, the Pell program is now projected to face a funding gap of $5.4 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which would grow to nearly $11.5 billion for FY 2027. Lawmakers face a choice: invest enough to keep the program whole or make harmful cuts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, with bipartisan support, Congress passed a delayed FY26 spending package that includes funding for…

TICAS’ 2026 Federal Policy Agenda advises members of the 119th Congress how to make it possible for any student—regardless of their financial circumstances—to earn a high-quality postsecondary degree or credential without taking on burdensome debt. 

This blog outlines four potential major issues should states extend Pell eligibility to noncredit programs and offers guidance to help states improve their ability to assess the quality of Workforce Pell programs, bolster student protections, and prevent bad actors and subpar programs from accessing this significant expansion of federal aid.

We collaborated with the Partnership for College Completion and the Here Lab on a new report that shows how targeting aid specifically to low-income, low-wealth students would increase college enrollment, raise graduation rates by state, and reduce student loan defaults.

As part of HR 1, Congress expanded Pell Grant access to short-term programs for the first time. Without careful implementation, this move may leave students and Pell dollars vulnerable to untested, low-quality, overly expensive, or fraudulent programs. In response, TICAS created model legislation to provide a blueprint for states to protect students and taxpayers.