Congressman McIntyre Stands Up For Pell Grants

Press Release

Citing the great importance of scholarship assistance to students, Congressman McIntyre has joined several of his colleagues to issue a letter to House Appropriations underscoring the importance of maintaining the Pell grant maximum award of $5,550.

According to data released recently, 28,128 students are expected to receive a Pell Grant in the 2011-2012 school year in Congressman McIntyre's district alone. Pell grants are the single largest source of grant aid for postsecondary education funded by the federal government.

McIntyre said, "Since my first year in Washington, I have supported increased funding for Pell Grants -- an important step towards enabling all Americans with the means to pursue the dream of a college education. We must fully fund this program so that more students can attend college and graduate with less financial debt."

Under a proposed budget, the maximum Pell Grant award would be cut to $3,040 for the 2012-2013 school year, the lowest since 1998. For students, this could mean a cut in their aid of more than $2,500, making college far less affordable.

McIntyre added, "While we must make cuts and sacrifices to reduce the deficit, Pell Grant funding should not be reduced. These grants are the foundation of our national efforts to make college affordable, and for millions of Americans, Pell Grants are the primary form of financial aid to pay tuition."

Congressman McIntyre is a member of the Community College Caucus, House Rural Education Caucus, the Impact Aid Coalition, and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Caucus.

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