In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called for sweeping higher education reforms, including the doubling of the Pell Grant.
During his speech on Tuesday night, Biden noted that over 6 million students depend on Pell Grants to finance their education but noted that the amount of money in these grants have not kept pace with the rising cost of a college education. Biden called on Congress to increase the maximum grant by more than $2,000. 
Biden also pledged continued support for community colleges and the nation's Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs.)
His remarks were greeted with enthusiasm by the nation's most prominent HBCU advocacy organization.
“This is a continuation of our shared goals,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). “We have worked with this White House, even before they moved in, to formulate these asks. I applaud the president for including both HBCUs and a Pell Grant increase in his State of the Union address, and I hope both items will be championed by both sides of the aisle.”
