On Tuesday, December 3rd at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), will hold a hearing entitled, “Keeping College Within Reach: Strengthening Pell Grants for Future Generations." The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
The federal Pell Grant program provides financial aid to low-income students pursuing a postsecondary degree. The program has become a cornerstone of the nation’s financial aid system, with roughly 36 percent of all undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. In recent years Congress has passed a number of bills, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to raise the maximum Pell Grant award and expand student eligibility. These changes, coupled with the recent economic downturn, have resulted in major enrollment spikes for the program and led to several years of funding gaps and budget shortfalls.
As the committee continues preparing for the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Tuesday’s hearing will provide members an opportunity to examine proposals to improve the Pell Grant program so that it can continue to help the nation’s neediest students realize the dream of a college degree. To learn more about this hearing, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings. WITNESS LIST
Mr. Justin Draeger
President and CEO
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Washington, D.C.
Dr. Jenna Ashley Robinson
Director of Outreach
John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy
Raleigh, NC
Mr. Michael Dannenberg
Director of Higher Education and Education Finance Policy
The Education Trust
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Richard C. Heath
Director, Student Financial Services
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD
