[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E661-E662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PELL GRANT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2022

  Ms. SANCHEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th Anniversary 
of the Pell Grant program.
  When Congress created the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant in 
1972, they did so to provide direct financial aid to working families, 
like my own, who faced numerous challenges in paying for college.
  My parents arrived in the U.S. in pursuit of the promise of the 
American dream for themselves and their seven children.
  When I was accepted into UC Berkeley, the question of how to pay for 
it loomed large over my parents and me. It took me 20 years to pay off 
my school loans, which I always considered an investment in myself.
  However, at 17 years old, taking out student loans was terrifying. 
And these days, paying for college has only gotten harder. Most of the 
families receiving Pell Grants earn incomes of $40,000 or less. That is 
why the federal Pell Grant program eases families' student loan burden 
and is critical to ensuring folks can pursue higher education.
  My district is made of families like my own-working families trying 
to ensure their children have access to the economic mobility that 
college can provide. In the 38th district of California, a little over 
15,000 students are receiving almost $59,000,000 in Pell Grant awards. 
That's only a portion of the 7 million students that can attend college 
because of Pell Grants.
  As we approach the 50-year mark on the Pell Grant program, I 
encourage the United States to celebrate ``National Pell Grant Day'' on 
June 23. Let us recognize the current students and successful graduates 
who have benefited from the program.
  Madam Speaker, I hope we can count on another 50 years of bipartisan 
support for low-income students through the Pell Grant program. I urge 
my colleagues to support the bipartisan resolution declaring June 23, 
2022, National Pell Grant Day this year, and in the future.

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