Continuing Push for College Affordability, McCaskill Supports Pell Grants for Dual Enrollment Students

Press Release

In her ongoing work to tackle issues of college affordability and accessibility, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to urge the Department of Education to continue its program allowing students participating in dual enrollment programs to be eligible for Pell Grants. Ranken Technical College in St. Louis is one of the 44 institutions currently participating.

"Dual enrollment and early college high schools are effective tools for improving college access, affordability, and completion, particularly for low-income and middle class students," wrote McCaskill and a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "Their strong results in terms of college enrollment and completion have been validated by numerous rigorous research studies. This experiment is both important and timely because it provides an opportunity to assess the return on investment of providing Pell Grants to younger students enrolled in college-level courses."

The experiment makes dual enrollment--in which students complete postsecondary coursework while still enrolled in high school--an allowable use of Pell Grant dollars for eligible students at the 44 institutions invited to participate. The experiment includes controls to ensure that students meet and maintain academic requirements, receive assistance determining their Pell Grant eligibility, and have access to appropriate student support services.

McCaskill identified the need to make Pell Grants more accessible after discussions with students, recent graduates, families, educators, and experts during a statewide college affordability tour last year--and has come out in support of year-round Pell Grants. McCaskill's discussions centered on innovative, effective ways to make college more affordable and decrease the enormous amounts of loan debt that students are facing.

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