Chairman Cassidy,
I am writing on behalf of the Presidents Forum to share our perspective on the importance of protecting and strengthening the Pell Grant program as Congress considers its funding and long-term sustainability. Pell Grants are foundational to expanding opportunity for millions of students, including many of the learners our institutions serve.
The Presidents Forum is a nonprofit organization made up of innovative college and university presidents committed to helping more students succeed through accountable innovation in higher education. Our 16 member institutions collectively serve more than one million students, including working adults, veterans, first-generation students, parents, and learners from all walks of life. We are united by a shared commitment to improving student outcomes through innovation in higher education. To learn more about the Presidents Forum, our mission, and our member institutions, visit www.presidentsforum.org.
As Congress considers how to address the current Pell Grant funding shortfall, we encourage you to fully fund the Pell Grant program while preserving the broad access that has made it one of the nation’s most successful investments in students. We also support strong well designed accountability that focuses on the outcomes that matter most to students, including completion, employment, cost, and earnings. Students, policymakers, and taxpayers should be able to see the value that Pell Grants help create.
As Congress intended in passing the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act, the updated FAFSA process has helped make financial aid more accessible and is expected to continue to increase the number of students who qualify for and seek Pell Grants. That success should be met with a continued federal commitment to ensuring that every eligible student has access to the support they need to pursue higher education.
As Congress considers options to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the Pell Grant program, we encourage solutions that do not alter summer Pell grant eligibility or award disbursement, or come at the expense of other need-based federal student aid programs that support the financial well-being and success of low-income students. Strengthening Pell should complement, not diminish, the broader federal financial aid system. We encourage Congress to fully fund Pell Grants while preserving the critical need-based supports that help students enroll, persist, and successfully complete their education.
For the students our institutions serve, Pell Grants represent opportunity. They allow individuals to invest in themselves, enroll in programs that lead to meaningful careers, build new skills, increase their lifetime earnings, and create better futures for themselves and their families. We see Pell Grants open doors for working adults returning to school, veterans transitioning into civilian careers, parents seeking greater financial stability, and students who simply need an opportunity to reach their potential.
The Presidents Forum is focused on measurable change in students’ lives. We believe success should be measured by the lift we provide, where students begin versus where they finish, and how education changes their opportunities. We are committed to meeting students where they are, keeping barriers low, and expanding access to high quality education. Pell Grants are one of the most important tools available to make that possible.
Thank you for your continued leadership on behalf of students. We welcome the opportunity to continue this conversation and to share what we are seeing from the learners and institutions we serve. If the Presidents Forum can be a resource as Congress considers the future of the Pell Grant program, we would be pleased to work with you and your staff.