[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 108 (Friday, June 24, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MARKING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PELL GRANT PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KIM SCHRIER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2022

  Ms. SCHRIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th Anniversary 
of the Pell Grant Program.
  In 1972, Congress amended the Higher Education Act by creating the 
Basic Educational Opportunity Grant. This legislation provides direct 
financial aid to low-income students so they can have the same access 
to higher education and opportunity for success as their higher income 
peers. This program was later named the Pell Grant for its original 
sponsor, Sen. Claiborne 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.
  The federal investment in Pell Grants is targeted to students with 
demonstrated financial need, with most families at incomes of $40,000 
or less, and can be used to fund career and technical education, 
community college education, university education, and post graduate 
education. The investment pays off by increasing college completion and 
boosting economic mobility.
  To date, more than 80 million students have received a Pell Grant to 
go to college since the program's creation. Currently, nearly 7 million 
students are going to college with Pell Grants, or about 40 percent of 
undergraduate students.
  In my congressional district, 6,796 students are receiving 
$28,721,279 in Federal Pell Grant funds to pursue their higher 
education goals at our local colleges. In my state of Washington, 
87,342 students receive $357,725,397 in Federal Pell grant funds.
  I look forward to Congress continuing the bipartisan support for low-
income student access to college through the Pell Grant for another 50 
years.

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