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




           RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PELL GRANT

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                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2022

  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Pell Grant Program.
  This program is aimed at ensuring that the door of educational 
opportunity is open to all students seeking higher education--
regardless of economic background or income. The federal investment in 
Pell Grants is targeted to students with demonstrated financial need, 
with most families at incomes of $40,000 or less. The investment pays 
off by increasing college completion and economic mobility. It's a 
legacy that I'm committed to protecting and expanding so that future 
generations can continue to reach their educational goals free from 
financial barriers or undue cost burdens.
  For me, personally, this is also an important program. My folks were 
schoolteachers, and I could not have gone to college if it hadn't been 
for the help of my community and the assistance of financial aid. I 
look at education as the door to opportunity for a lot of families--
including mine--and it's clear that financial aid is the key to that 
door.
  Since the creation of the Pell Grant, more than 80 million students 
have felt the impact of this program firsthand. Last year, Pell Grants 
benefited 5,419 students attending our local colleges in the district 
that I have the honor of representing. At the University of Washington, 
more than 10,000 students across the university system are Pell 
recipients. Furthermore, at Washington State University, 26.9 percent 
of enrolled undergraduate students across the university system were 
eligible to receive a Pell Grant this past Fall.
  As we recognize today as the 50-year mark of the Pell Grant program, 
I encourage all of us to not only celebrate this milestone, but to 
recognize the current students and successful graduates who have 
benefited from the program by telling their stories, encouraging the 
same access for future students, and resolving to continue support for 
this vital program for the next 50 years and beyond.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
bipartisan resolution declaring June 23, 2022, National Pell Grant Day 
this year.

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