Excerpt via The Olympian
By Kelsey Monaco
On June 23, when the federal Pell Grant program turns 50, I’ll be celebrating what this program has meant to me and the approximately 80 million Americans who have been able to access post-secondary education opportunities through these grants.
Since the 1970s, Pell Grants have enabled low-income students the chance to obtain a post-high school education. Last year, 90,000 Washingtonian students from low-income backgrounds received nearly $360 million in Pell Grants to assist with college expenses.
I was raised by a single mom who, when I was 8 years old, was diagnosed with breast cancer. During the 2008 recession, she lost her job and our house, and we were left with medical debt. Both Pell Grants and the Washington College Grant helped put into reach my degrees from South Puget Sound Community College and Saint Martin’s University. Now, armed with a master’s degree from Columbia University, I am entering the Peace Corps.
The pandemic has pulled the rug out from under students living on low incomes. College enrollment and financial aid applications are down; we are on the cusp of losing a generation of students. Increasing support for the Pell Grant will allow for students to receive additional aid and more students to be eligible, providing those with working-class backgrounds access to post-secondary education.
Pell Grants helped make the dream of college possible for me, and re-investing in this proven program will lead to higher, steadier incomes and secure, fulfilling careers that strengthen our families and our economy.