[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5826-H5827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                  CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF PELL GRANTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th anniversary of 
the Pell Grant Program.

[[Page H5827]]

  In 1972, Congress amended the Higher Education Act by creating the 
Basic Educational Opportunity Grant to provide direct financial aid to 
low-income students so they could have the same access to higher 
education and opportunity for success as their higher income peers.
  The program was later named the Pell grant for its original sponsor, 
Senator Pell, Democrat from Rhode Island. The original bill was signed 
into law by Republican President Richard Nixon, and the program has 
maintained this original bipartisan support over the last 50 years.
  To date, more than 80 million students have received a Pell grant to 
go to college since the program was created. Currently, nearly 7 
million students are going to college with a Pell grant, or about 40 
percent of undergraduate students. In my district in the great city of 
Philadelphia, nearly 22,000 students receive $90.5 million to pursue 
their higher education goals.
  The Federal investment in Pell grants is targeted to students with 
demonstrated financial need, students whose families have incomes of 
$40,000 or less. The investment pays off by increasing college 
completion and economic mobility.
  On the 50-year anniversary of the Pell Grant Program, I encourage the 
United States to celebrate national Pell grant day by recognizing the 
current students and successful graduates who have benefited from the 
program by telling their student success stories and encouraging the 
same access for future students, demonstrating the importance of what 
the Pell grant has meant.
  The Pell grant is significant to the future of this country, and it 
is important that we all stand up for this program that has been 
valuable to our young people for the future, no matter what side of the 
aisle we are on.

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