The Pell Grant Program: A Necessity

In 1965, the United States legislature passed a historical legislation called the Higher Education Act of 1965. This was an important legislation intended to strengthen the resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance to students in postsecondary and higher education. Today, this act remains the foundation for most postsecondary education subsidies, including the Federal Pell Grant program. Since its inception, the federal government has continued to provide varying amounts of funding for higher education in hopes of encouraging college enrollment by reducing college costs. Yet, according to the Department of Education, the United States, once ranked a global leader in postsecondary education, has slipped to fifth in terms of proportion of 25-64 year olds holding a higher education degree and even more discouraging, has fallen to ninth in attainment among the younger generation, aged 25-34 (Department of Education). Could this be due the skyrocketing costs of college tuition and fees? Because college fees have increased more rapidly than grant levels, Pell Grants cover a lower proportion of total college expenses than it did a decade ago. Fortunately, the Obama administration wants to see this trend in higher education end and as a result has relentlessly fought to protect the program. Although the Pell Grant Program is currently secure, there are some that would like to see the government eliminate the program; however, any drastic cuts to the program would leave many students changing their college plans or unable to attend at all, thousands of students currently enrolled in school to dropout, and affect the nation’s already weakened economy.

From a very young age, students are prea...

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