Rep. Loretta Sanchez Introduces Middle Class Chance Act, Promotes College Affordability

Today, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46) reintroduced her Middle Class "Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically' (CHANCE) Act, which will increase the strength of Pell Grants and help students afford college. The Middle Class CHANCE Act will also restore year-round Pell Grants and allow both part-time and full-time students to receive the grant. Rep. Sanchez's legislation is the companion bill to the Senate version introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

"As a Pell Grant recipient, I know firsthand how Pell Grants offer life-changing educational opportunities for motivated students and I believe we should give every willing student the opportunity to succeed," said Rep. Sanchez. "As tuition costs soar and state and community college budgets are slashed, students have been burdened with increased debt. We must increase access to higher education for all, all year round, because an educated workforce is essential to our country's future success. The Middle Class CHANCE Act will meaningfully reduce the real and perceived barriers to higher education for many low-income students and their families across America by restoring the strength and length of the Pell Grant."

Senator Heinrich is the lead sponsor of the Middle Class CHANCE Act's companion legislation in the Senate.

"Pell Grants are the primary form of financial aid millions of students use to pay for tuition, giving them access to an education that might otherwise be out of reach," said Sen. Heinrich. "As the cost of college has continued to skyrocket, this bill helps address the diminished purchasing power of Pell Grants, and ensures they remain a useful tool for students in New Mexico and across the country well into the future. The Middle Class CHANCE Act also makes it possible for students to continue their education year-round, providing flexibility and enabling them to join the workforce sooner."

The Pell Grant is a need-based federal grant that once covered the entire cost of college but now only covers just one-third of the cost of a public four-year college and only covers tuition from Fall to Spring. This year's maximum Pell award ($5,815) will cover the smallest share of college costs since the start of the Pell program in 1972. And while the cost of college has grown 5 times the rate of inflation since 1972, state funding for public post-secondary institutions has steadily decreased and the maximum Pell grant will no longer be tied to inflation after the 2017-18 school year. California's spending per student at state schools remains near the lowest point in more than thirty years. These factors have shifted the burden of higher tuition and cost of living to students, saddling them with increased debt.

Need-based grants increase college enrollment among low-and-moderate income students and nearly 9 million students depend on Pell Grants to attend and complete college. Pell Grants make post-secondary options possible for millions of Americans, yet over the last five years Congress has continued to cut the programs funding and diminish the Pell Grant's capacity. Rep. Sanchez's bill would address the significant loss in Pell Grants and combat increasing costs of college and student debt by:

1) Increasing the individual maximum award to $9,410, bringing the maximum amount in line with the average in-state tuition costs at public four-year institutions for school year 2015-2016 at $9,410.

2) Restoring year-round Pell Grants, allowing students to receive additional Pell dollars for courses taken during the summer or intersession.

3) Allowing Pell Grant recipients to use the awards for 15 semesters instead of the current 12.

The Middle Class CHANCE Act currently has 30 cosponsors, including: Reps. Tony Cárdenas, Judy Chu, Jim Costa, Elijah E. Cummings, Peter DeFazio, John Delaney, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison, Eliot L. Engel, Anna G. Eshoo, Raúl M. Grijalva, Gwen Moore, Alcee L. Hastings, Mike Honda, Derek Kilmer, Jim Langevin, Brenda Lawrence, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Carolyn B. Maloney, Jim McDermott, Gregory W. Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Grace F. Napolitano, Rick Nolan, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chellie Pingree, Bobby L. Rush, and José E. Serrano.

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