WASHINGTON — Pell Grants have been a fixture of federal financial aid since the 1970s, helping about 8 million low-income students attend college each year.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is now considering allowing students to use the grants year-round, rather than just for two semesters in any given year. She raised the possibility during a visit last week to a community college in Florida.
A look at the program, its past and its future.
WHAT ARE PELL GRANTS?
Pell Grants are a federal aid program aimed at helping low-income students fund post-secondary education, including four-year college programs, community colleges, associate degree and certificate programs. Currently, Pell Grants benefit some 8 million students across the country and the maximum annual grant is about $5,800. Funded at around $29 billion a year, Pell Grants are a key tool for the federal government to fund college education for the disadvantaged.
The program gets its name from former Democratic Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, one of its key champions.
YEAR-ROUND PELL GRANTS
