FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 24, 2014

Contacts:
Sarah Lovenheim, sarah.lovenheim@younginvincibles.org, 585-746-8281;
Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@younginvincibles.org, 214-223-2913

The Senate Appropriations Committee is considering slashing two billion dollars from federal Pell grant funding. Pell grants help nearly 9 million students across the country afford a higher education each year.

Young Invincibles — the national non-profit organization that works to expand economic opportunity for Millennials — has released the following statement from its Executive Director, Jen Mishory, in response:

“The Pell grant is crucial to making higher education more accessible for millions of students. With tuition and student debt soaring, cutting the Pell grant – one of America’s best social mobility programs – could keep some of the 9 million low-income Pell students from affording college. Congress should reject any proposal that would include these cuts because they are a direct threat to our economic growth.”

When many members of Congress were going to college in the 1980s, the Pell grant covered more than half of the cost of college. Today, Pell covers just over one-third of college costs.

Please be in touch if you would like to speak with one of our policy experts, a Pell grant recipient, or if you have any questions.

Young Invincibles, as part of the Save Pell Coalition, sent a letter to members of the Senate Appropriations Committees, urging senators to protect funding for the Pell grant. To read the letter in its entirety, click here.

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