Resources

The third in a, now, four-part series on the Pell Grant, this brief presents basic data trends, finding that for-profits that predominantly award certificates tend to have higher Pell Grant access and completion rates than other types of for-profits, although research consistently finds certificate programs provide weaker economic returns than other postsecondary credentials. Additionally, this brief finds completion rates for Pell Grant students at for-profits are increasing at a much slower pace (half a percentage point per year) than at public and non-profit institutions.

The second in a three-part series on the Pell Grant, this brief presents basic data trends, finding Pell Grant access and completion rates vary by selectivity.

The Pell Grant is targeted to students with the greatest financial need, and many policymakers find Pell to be a useful policy lever for promoting access and success for students from lower-income backgrounds. There are several examples where policymakers use Pell eligibility to allocate resources and hold colleges accountable for their outcomes; however, basic information about Pell access and completion is not well documented in policy research. To address this problem — and to provide baseline statistics useful in policy conversations — this analysis provides new information about Pell enrollments and degree completion rates for community colleges.

From 1972 to today, the federal Pell Grant program has provided need-based grant aid to 80 million low- and moderate-income students to help them achieve the dream of a college degree. Fifty years in, Pell Grants remain the federal government’s most effective investment in college affordability — but the share of college costs covered by the grant is at an all-time low. Big new investments in Pell are long overdue — that’s why we’re urging Congress to #DoublePell and restore the promise of the Pell program for generations to come.

Joint publication with UNCF outlining how Congress can increase college affordability and close equity gaps by doubling the maximum Pell Grant.

One-pager on the importance of Pell Grants, the impact of recent changes, and the need to strengthen them.

One-pager with key recommendations on how to secure and strengthen Pell Grants, the federal government’s most vital investment in higher education.

This two-pager briefly describes short-term programs and what we know about their pay-off for students, and poses critical questions for advocates and policymakers considering the merits of loosening Pell Grants standards for these programs.

Currently, students taking 12 credit hours a semester are considered "full-time" and are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant award. While some states have experimented with proposals to encourage students to take 15 credits, rather than 12, such a federal policy change to maximum Pell Grant eligibility could cut millions of students' grants by up to $1,500 a year, reducing college access and their likelihood of completion.

The House FY18 budget resolution significantly cuts already low IPA levels, reversing the changes enacted on a bipartisan basis in 2007 to help needy working students. This rollback would cut Pell Grants for the millions of recipients who are already working and struggling to cover living expenses and rising college costs.

The House Budget Committee’s Fiscal Year 2018 resolution makes students with family incomes above $20,000 ineligible for an automatic-zero EFC, completely reversing bipartisan changes enacted in 2007. This proposal would add uncertainty and complexity to the financial aid process for needy students, ultimately harming college access for nearly one-in-five of the neediest Pell Grant recipients.

The House Budget Committee's Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposes a maximum income cap for Pell Grants, above which students would no longer be eligible for Pell Grants, regardless of their family size or situation. A maximum income cap would cut off Pell Grants from students who, due to family circumstances, require financial assistance to afford college.

Leading higher education experts and economists have found no convincing, causal relationship between federal student aid (including Pell Grants) and college prices.

Fact sheet on independent students, with a focus on those who receive Pell Grants.

In the 2012-13 year alone, the immediate and retroactive lower lifetime limit for Pell Grants will cause more than 100,000 students to lose their Pell Grant. This change, enacted by Congress last year, is expected to disproportionately harm African-American students and students enrolled at public and nonprofit four-year colleges, and will make it harder for students needing remediation to complete.

The House majority's FY12 Labor-HHS appropriations bill proposed expanding the definition of income for determining eligibility for Pell Grants and other student financial aid. This change would have cut Pell Grants for needy students by an estimated $13 billion over 10 years, harming college access, completion, and economic growth.

One-pager on the impact of the House Appropriations Committee FY12 Labor‐HHS bill, which would have cut millions of needy students' Pell Grants, including entirely eliminating grants for more than 550,000 students next year and for more than 1 million students in 2017.

Despite recent discussion of student abuse of federal Pell Grants, there is actually no evidence widespread abuse exists. Any concerns about fraud or abuse should be addressed directly and carefully to avoid harming the millions of needy students who play by the rules.