U.S. Representative Susie Lee and Sean Casten have collaborated to create the Pell Grant Sustainability Act in order to ensure “federal resources for college students keep up with current costs by indexing Pell Grants to inflation.”
Pell Grants are becoming less valuable each year, making it difficult for 7 million students to afford college tuition. From 2009 to 2018, the value of Pell Grants remained stagnant while inflation rose 17 percent, according to Lee.
“With college tuition skyrocketing and working families’ wages stagnating, it’s becoming nearly impossible for many students to pursue higher education,” said Casten in a statement. “Our Pell Grant system has been incredibly successful with helping Americans get their degrees, but this success will not be sustained if the value of these grants continues to diminish. I’m proud to introduce the Pell Grant Sustainability Act with Congresswoman Lee to ensure these grants continue to open doors to education for generations to come.”
The bill will be sent to the House Education and Labor Committee for deliberation.