Opinion: Pell Grants no longer cover enough of college costs. Congress should act

Throughout the fall of my senior year, every family dinner circled back to the same topics: college admissions and affordability. As a first-generation, low-income student, my parents knew very little about the college application process but understood the importance of higher education. They also knew that they weren’t able to send me to college on their own dime, so they encouraged me to seek financial support.

For students like myself, the federal Pell Grant is critical. Established in 1972, the Pell Grant program has become the largest source of federal undergraduate grant aid. But even with support, students across the country still struggle to afford college.

The purchasing power of the Pell Grant has continuously declined since its initial implementation. The award value, at its peak in the late 1970s, used to cover more than 75% of the average cost of attendance for a four-year public university. By the 2024-25 academic year, it covered only about 27% of the average cost of attendance. Today, the maximum grant value is $7,395. The impact is clear: 79% of students surveyed who previously dropped out of college or considered doing so stated that the two primary reasons were basic needs insecurity or financial strain, according to a 2025 report from Temple University's Hope Center. It is time to reform the Pell Grant program to support students across the nation.

In Congress, H.R. 9414 (Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026) intends to address this issue by doubling the Federal Pell Grant amount, protecting the program from economic shortfalls, and extending access to certain DREAMers and working students. This bill will increase the current maximum grant from $7,395 to $10,000 in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. An increase of $1,000 will occur each year until 2031-32, when the award will sit at $15,000 and be indexed for inflation in every subsequent year.

The bill also increases the Pell Grant program’s mandatory funding. Because the Pell Grant is funded through a mix of discretionary and mandatory funding, Congress allocates money each year based on projected enrollment or demand. When this funding falls short, low-income students are at risk of reduced or delayed aid. Raising mandatory funding would close this gap by requiring Congress to invest new funds in the program instead of cutting the grant amount to account for budget shortfalls. Students deserve to receive aid without a risk of unanticipated, fluctuating costs.

Stakes are especially high in Arizona, where 36% of undergraduate students received a Pell Grant for the 2023-24 school year. Yet the current maximum award only covers about half of the standard $13,900 tuition at the University of Arizona. The proposed increase to $15,000 by 2031 would change this. It would allow students who qualify for the maximum amount to cover their full tuition cost with the Pell Grant alone. Beyond making college more accessible, this investment would pay off for the whole state. If Arizona’s college attainment rate reached 60% , $11.1 billion would be added to the state economy . By supporting this bill, Arizona will be equipped with a stronger, more educated workforce.

Public education is the force that has gotten me this far, and I would not be able to attend college without the assistance of federal financial aid. To ensure students in Arizona continue receiving this support, we must act now. The solution is speaking up to Congress and asking for support for education access. The Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education is a national coalition of students, faculty, local organizations and community members looking to protect public education. You can take their pledge and join the movement. But most importantly, you can take direct local action by calling your district representative to encourage them to sponsor and support H.R. 9414.