Whitehouse & Reed Push to Double Pell Grant & Make College More Affordable

On 54^thanniversary of the Pell Grant, Senators Whitehouse and Reed help colleagues reintroduce the Pell Grant Preservation & Expansion Act to expand financial aid for working students and families

Washington, D.C. - Named in honor of former-U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, the Pell Grant has helped millions of American students and their families afford a college education.

Today, as the cost for college continues to increase, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act, bicameral legislation to ensure that Pell Grants can keep up with the real costs of higher education.

The legislation aims to double the Pell Grant maximum award, index the maximum award for inflation, and make other changes to expand the award for working students and families. The Pell Grant currently serves over 7 million undergraduate students across the nation.

"Pell Grants, one of Senator Claiborne Pell's enduring legacies, have helped generations of Rhode Islanders get a high-quality education while taking on less debt," said Whitehouse. "Our bill would increase the purchasing power of a Pell Grant and inflation-proof the awards to bring us closer to realizing Senator Pell's vision of affordable higher education for all."

"For decades, Pell Grants have been the cornerstone of our federal financial aid programs. Today, with the costs of higher education continuing to increase, these grants cover a shrinking percentage of the actual cost of college. Students should not have to rack up mountains of debt just to continue their education and earn their degree," said Reed. "It is past time we double the power of Pell grants and ensure this essential financial aid keeps up with inflation. This legislation would help expand access to Pell grants, lower student debt, strengthen our economy and workforce, and help deserving students reach their full potential."

"For thousands of students in Hawaii and millions of students across the country, Pell Grants have helped to make higher education more affordable. But as costs continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for students to pursue the college and career opportunities that will allow them to succeed in the future," said Hirono. "By increasing the Pell Grant maximum award, indexing the maximum award for inflation, and protecting the program from future cuts, this legislation will allow students across the country to reach their full potential."

The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2024 would double the Pell Grants maximum award from $7,395 to $15,000 over six years and ensure that the grants keep up with inflation. Furthermore, the bill would make the program fully mandatory funding in order to protect the essential financial aid from future cuts. The bill would also expand the program to include DREAMers and restore lifetime eligibility to 18 semesters, among other important changes to benefit working students.

In addition to Senators Hirono, Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026 is co-sponsored Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

In the U.S. House of Representatives, companion legislation is led by Congressmen Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA).

The bill is endorsed by The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs (Hope Center), The Education Trust (EdTrust), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), United States Student Association (USSA), National College Attainment Network (NCAN), Southern California College Attainment Network (SoCal CAN), HawaiiKidsCAN, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Coalition on Human Needs (CHN), New America Higher Education Program, Legal Defense Fund (LDF), Third Way, College Possible, FuturesNW, Denver Scholarship Foundation, Capital Area College Access Network (CAPCAN), OHIO YAB (Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board), ACTION Ohio (Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now Ohio), and Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation.

The full text of the bill is available here. A fact sheet is available here.