To ensure that students have access to education funding, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), along with U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia), reintroduced the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act on June 16.
This legislation could bring the Pell Grant award to more working students and families, potentially double the grant award and index the award to inflation. It would also require that Pell Grants be fully funded, according to Hirono’s website.
"No one should be denied a chance at higher education because it’s unaffordable. For millions of students, Pell Grants have made the dream of going to college attainable," Hirono wrote in a June 16 Facebook post. "We need the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act to #DoublePell for students."
Some of the changes this bill would make include restoring lifetime eligibility for the program to 18 semesters and expanding the program to include DREAMers.
“No one should be denied a chance at a higher education if they are smart enough and capable enough, but are unable to afford it. As a recipient of the Pell Grant myself, I know just how instrumental of a tool it is to make college accessible for all,” Pocan said, according to Hirono's website. “Unfortunately, rising tuition costs and perpetual underfunding continue to undermine this critical program.”
Hirono and Murray, along with Scott and former Rep. Susan Davis (D-California), introduced a similar version of the bill during the 115th Congress several years ago.