Series of Reports Find Common Recruiting Practice Perpetuate Bias, But Crucial for College Access of Underrepresented Students

In early July, the Michigan state legislature passed a budget that invests over $2 billion in higher education for Michiganders statewide.

Across the country, students from underserved communities have faced disproportionate challenges to
enrolling in and remaining in college during the pandemic. College enrollment fell by five percent during
the pandemic – nearly one million students – the largest decline in the last 50 years.

A diverse coalition of 17 groups united in strengthening need-based financial aid applauds California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature for reaching a final 2022-23 state budget agreement.

New series highlights baseline statistics on access to the federal Pell Grant program and completion rates for U.S. higher education institutions by three sectors— community colleges, public and non-profit universities, and for-profit colleges.

Summarizes loan limits, interest rates, and other terms for federal student loans issued from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

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.