ADVOCATES AIM TO DOUBLE THE PELL GRANT AWARD

Eyes in higher education are focused on the “Build Back Better” bill pending approval in the U.S. Senate.

Part of that legislation increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $550 to $6,495. The Pell is a need-based financial subsidy awarded at the federal level.

June 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the federal Pell Grant program, said President Susanna Baxter.

“When it was originally passed, this grant covered more than three-quarters of the cost of attending a four-year college,” she said. “Today, it covers less than one-third of those costs.”

Nationwide, the program aids almost 7 million low- and moderate-income students.

“More than 40% of LaGrange College students receive a Pell Grant,” Baxter said. “There is an ongoing effort to double the maximum award. This aid will be transformational in the lives of our students.”