For nearly forty years, students of low income families have depended on the Pell Grant as their foundation of federal postsecondary funding. The Pell Grant has been essential for Low-income students to go to school, despite the fact that the Pell grant has not kept pace with the rising costs of a college education.

On February 14, 2011 President Obama released details of his proposed budget which cuts $100 billion from the pell grant program over the next ten years. This proposal would eliminate the Summer Pell Grant but keep the Pell Grant Maximum award at the current level of $5,550. (Given a choice between the Summer Pell Grant and keeping the Maximum at $5,550, we would rather keep the maximum.)

However, on February 19, 2011 The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 which lowers the maximum by $845. This dramatic cut would cut 1.7 million students from the program and lower the grants for the remaining 7.5 million low-income students.

On April 8, 2011, the Senate will be voting on this bill. It is vital that the Senate act more responsibly by not cutting the Pell Grants that millions of our nation's neediest students are counting on.

We would rather cut the Summer Pell Grant than have our maximum cut!