[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 19 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 19

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should increase the 
     maximum individual Federal Pell Grant award to $9,000 by 2010.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 14, 2003

Mr. Feingold (for himself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should increase the 
     maximum individual Federal Pell Grant award to $9,000 by 2010.

Whereas public investment in higher education yields a return of several dollars 
        for each dollar invested;
Whereas higher education promotes economic opportunity and recipients of 
        bachelor's degrees earn an average 75 percent per year more than those 
        with high school diplomas and are also half as likely to be unemployed;
Whereas access to a college education has become a hallmark of American society, 
        and is vital to upholding our belief in equality of opportunity;
Whereas for a generation, the Federal Pell Grant has served as an established 
        and effective means of providing access to higher education;
Whereas over the past decade, the Federal Pell Grant has decreased by 20 percent 
        in value and is now worth only 70 percent of what a Federal Pell Grant 
        was worth in 1975;
Whereas grant aid as a portion of student aid has fallen significantly in the 
        past 5 years;
Whereas in the past, grant aid constituted 55 percent of total aid awarded to 
        college students and loans constituted just over 40 percent, but now 
        grant aid constitutes 40 percent of total aid awarded and loans 
        constitute nearly 60 percent;
Whereas the percentage of freshman attending public and private 4-year 
        institutions of higher education from families with income below the 
        national medium has fallen since 1981; and
Whereas in 2001, eligible Federal Pell Grant applicants grew by 8.3 percent in 
        comparison with the projected growth rate of 2.5 percent, representing 
        an increase in low-income students who now have access to college and 
        causing a shortfall in funding for the Federal Pell Grant program: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
increase the maximum individual Federal Pell Grant award to $9,000 by 
fiscal year 2010.
                                 <all>