GOP Budget Would Deny Pell Grants to 1.4 million students, New Data Show
Under the Republican budget, the maximum Pell Grant award would be cut by more than $2,500 for the 2012-2013 school year, bringing the maximum award to $3,040, the lowest it’s been since 1998. New data from the Department of Education show that the Republican budget would result in almost 1.4 million students losing eligibility for Pell grants, and all students receiving significantly reduced awards. For students, this could make college far less affordable.
“The Republican budget has America’s priorities exactly backward, and that is evident in their decision to cut Pell to its lowest level in more than a decade,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee. “The Pell Grant is an equalizer for college students – it makes the dream of a college degree a reality for millions of students each year. It is shameful and completely unbalanced to shovel millions of dollars to the biggest oil companies in the world while denying so many young Americans the chance at a college education.”
To see how the GOP budget would affect students relying on Pell Grants in each state, click here.
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