Advocate to increase federal Pell Grants for college students in need

Salve Regina has always had a close connection to Senator Claiborne Pell, who represented the state of Rhode Island from 1961 to 1997 in the United States Senate. During his time in Congress, one of Pell’s greatest achievements was creating the federal Pell Grants, which is a form of financial aid for college students.

Senator Claiborne Pell

After Pell retired in 1997, Salve Regina ended up working with the U.S. government to ultimately found what today is called the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy. At the same time, Salve Regina started to create the Pell Honors Program, founded in 2001. There have also been numerous students who have attended Salve Regina with help from the federal Pell Grants that Senator Pell helped establish.

For the past few decades, the federal Pell Grant program has provided need-based grant aid to low and moderate-income students to help cover college costs. Pell Grants are the federal government’s most effective investment in college affordability, and right now over seven million students are assisted through Pell Grants each year.

But the federal Pell Grants have grown historically low, even as college tuition costs have grown exponentially. In fact, while Pell Grants used to help cover about 75% of college costs for students, they now only help out with about 28% of college costs. This is why the Double Pell Alliance is raising awareness around this issue. The alliance has been campaigning for Congress to double Pell Grants so that future generations of college-goers can benefit from this necessary aid.

Salve Regina is proud to support the idea of doubling the federal Pell Grants and to continue Senator Pell’s legacy. For more information on how to get involved in the efforts to double Pell Grants, like contacting state senators and spreading the word on social media, go the the Double Pell Alliance’s website.

Featured photo by Getty Images/nirat