[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 27, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E786]
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. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 27, 2022

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, Nelson Mandela 
imparted a lesson to all of us when he said: ``Education is the most 
powerful weapon we can use to change the world.'' This summer, we mark 
the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant--a program that put 
postsecondary education in reach for tens of millions of low-income 
students, a program that gives access to the pursuit of knowledge for 
those not born into privilege, and a program that allows students to 
change the world regardless of how much change is in their pockets.
  It is an honor and privilege to recognize the 50th Anniversary of the 
Pell Grant Program. There was no Pell Grant when l went to college. The 
only way I could attend college was by the grace of receiving an 
academic scholarship that another student turned down. In 1972, 
Congress recognized the challenges faced by students like me, and it 
amended the Higher Education Act to provide direct financial aid to 
low-income students to afford them the same access to higher education 
and opportunity for success as their higher-income peers. Originally 
called the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, this program was later 
named the Pell Grant in honor of its original sponsor, Senator 
Claiborne Pell, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Signed into law by 
President Richard Nixon, the program has maintained bipartisan support 
for five decades.
  Since its creation, the Pell Grant has helped more than 80 million 
students attend college. Currently, 40 percent of undergraduate 
students--nearly 7 million students--receive Pell Grants. In Illinois's 
7th Congressional District, nearly 33,000 students use over 142 million 
dollars in Pell Grants to pursue their higher education goals. The Pell 
Grant is undoubtedly the bedrock of federal financial aid for students. 
It is especially critical for students of color, with nearly 60 percent 
of Black students, half of American Indian or Alaska Native students, 
and nearly half of Latinx students receiving a Pell Grant each year. 
Without this pivotal program, many students--especially Black 
students--would be excluded from higher education altogether or have to 
dig themselves deeper into debt or struggle so much harder by working 
multiple jobs while attending college.
  I am especially proud that, as we mark the 50th anniversary, Congress 
has restored the Pell Grant to the incarcerated, a policy for which I 
fought for decades via the REAL Act. Just this week, the Department of 
Education issued its proposed rule to restore Pell so that incarcerated 
individuals can complete higher education coursework that improves 
their reentry, strengthens their economic well-being and that of their 
families, increases labor force participation, and grows our economy.
  The Pell grant has undeniable positive impacts on students across the 
United States, that much is certain. As policymakers, it is our 
responsibility to ensure that the future of tomorrow--our youth--are 
not hindered by the monetary challenges of today. I urge my colleagues 
to join me in fighting to substantially increase funding of this life-
changing program so that it can make college affordable in the face of 
rising higher-education costs as it was intended.

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