The University of California on Monday (Feb. 8) launched the Double the Pell campaign calling on Congress and the Biden administration to charter a more affordable pathway to higher education for America鈥檚 students and families. 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 is partnering with the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Student Association in the national advocacy effort to boost Pell Grants for low-income students across the country.
PELL GRANTS AT 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 DAVIS
- 11,230 students, or 42 percent of undergraduates who are U.S. residents, received Pell Grants in 2019.
- The average parent income of recipients was $26,726, and nearly 20 percent of recipients were independent students.
- About two-thirds of Pell recipients have to borrow additional funds to meet educational costs 鈥 almost double the rate of non-recipients.
- Pell recipients generally take longer to graduate as they face the challenges of meeting basic needs and working more than their peers.
鈥 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Office of the President
The Pell Grant is the main way the federal government helps low-income students afford college, with more than 7 million students taking advantage of the grant each year to pay a portion of their educational expenses. Forty years ago, the Pell Grant covered more than 75 percent of a student鈥檚 four-year public college costs. Over time, disinvestment has eroded the value of the grant to around 28 percent.
The Double the Pell campaign furthers 新澳门六合彩内幕信息鈥檚 commitment to ensuring that Californians and students across the nation have access to a quality, affordable college education. 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 enrolls a higher percentage of low-income students than any of its public or private peer institutions. In fact, three 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 campuses each enroll more Pell students than the entire Ivy League combined.
鈥淭he University of California has a long-standing record of investing in financial aid and student success,鈥 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 President Michael V. Drake said. 鈥淗owever, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 cannot do this alone. We need impactful, long-term support for students and for higher education across the country; we need Congress to double the Pell as a down payment on America鈥檚 future.鈥
The maximum Pell Grant is $6,345 in 2020-21. At the urging of 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 and other institutions, Congress raised the maximum to $6,495 for 2021-22. Now, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 is urging Congress to continue its commitment by raising the maximum award by $2,168 a year for the next three years to effectively double the Pell Grant maximum to $13,000 by academic year 2024-25.
鈥極ne of the greatest investments鈥
鈥淓nsuring a more affordable, accessible higher education across the country is one of the greatest investments America can make 鈥 not only in those students, but also in their future contributions to the economy and to society,鈥 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Board or Regents Chair John A. P茅rez said. 鈥淭heir advancement and success will yield limitless dividends over years and decades.鈥
Besides the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Student Association, other allies are the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Advocacy Network, Washington Student Association and Ohio Student Association, as well as national student advocacy organizations such as The Institute for College Access and Success, and National College Attainment Network.
鈥淎ddressing the challenges of access and affordability is a priority of 新澳门六合彩内幕信息SA,鈥 said Aidan Arasasingham, president of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Student Association. 鈥淔or too long in America, we have seen low-income, first-generation and undocumented students as well as individuals of color inequitably shoulder the financial burden from a college degree. Doubling the Pell takes us one step further on the path to a debt-free graduation.鈥
Socioeconomic mobility
'The success of the Pell Grant program in driving socioeconomic mobility is evident at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息, with the power to transform a family鈥檚 earning potential in a single generation. More than 78,000 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 students 鈥 35 percent of all undergraduates 鈥 receive Pell Grants. Within five years of graduating, the median individual income of Pell Grant students exceeds that of their families at the time they enrolled. More than one in three 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 alumni who come from the bottom 20 percent of income earners rise to the top 20 percent as adults.
鈥淗igher education has long been one of the country鈥檚 primary economic equalizers,鈥 said Shawn Brick, the university鈥檚 executive director of student financial support. 鈥淎t 新澳门六合彩内幕信息, we see how robust financial aid can help alleviate the financial burden for disadvantaged students. In addition to need-based grants and the state鈥檚 Cal Grant program for Californian students, boosting Pell Grants will provide an even greater return on investment to taxpayers.鈥
Students across the country continue to lack adequate food and housing security, as well as access to affordable child care, reliable technology and other resources that make pursuing a higher education possible. With a substantial federal investment in the Pell Grant, America鈥檚 lowest-income students can graduate with much less student debt and more easily achieve financial security.
Jumpstarting economic growth
One of the greatest barriers to a college education is the price of university attendance and the resulting debt for students and their families. This economic hurdle is often felt even more acutely by undergraduates from under-resourced backgrounds that may include first-generation, low-income and undocumented students, or people of color.
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When students graduate with enormous debts, they put off having families, purchasing homes and making other significant investments in our economy. Alleviating this debt burden now, and into the future, would help jumpstart America鈥檚 economic growth at a critical time for our state and nation.
If students and their families are provided access to additional Pell Grant dollars, institutional and state aid can be more effectively maximized to supplement associated costs and also help 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 students who may not qualify for federal assistance. Last year alone, Pell Grants provided slightly more than $400 million in support to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 students. In comparison, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 invested nearly $800 million in need-based grants, while the state of California awarded $950 million through the Cal Grant program.
Fifty-six percent of California undergraduates who attend 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 pay no tuition, largely due to the state of California鈥檚 Cal Grant program and the university鈥檚 Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, an institutional aid program to cover tuition as well as housing, food, books and transportation for needy students.
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新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Office of the President Media Relations, media@ucop.edu