The Widening College Access Gap: Pell Grant Disinvestment and Declining Student Enrollment in the South

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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Widening College Access Gap: Pell Grant Disinvestment and Declining Student Enrollment in the South
Language: English
Authors: Stephen G. Katsinas, Noel E. Keeney, Nathaniel J. Bray, F. King Alexander, Garrett Till, Contributor, Moses Ogunnarin, Contributor, Patrick J. Kelly, Contributor, Southern Education Foundation (SEF), University of Alabama, Education Policy Center
Source: Southern Education Foundation. 2025.
Availability: Southern Education Foundation. 135 Auburn Avenue NE 2nd Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303. Tel: 404-523-0001; Fax: 404-523-6904; e-mail: infosoutherneducation.org; Web site: http://www.southerneducation.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Access to Education, Higher Education, Educational Finance, Federal Aid, Grants, Educational Equity (Finance), Declining Enrollment, Paying for College, College Students, Minority Group Students, Eligibility, Retrenchment, Economic Climate, Expenditures
Geographic Terms: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Pell Grant Program
Abstract: The federal Pell Grant program provides over 6.2 million students each year with financial assistance for college and college-related expenses. Its funding levels, however, are not a given and can fluctuate year-to-year in each budget set by Congress. Inconsistent funding levels are one factor that can impact many students' opportunity to attend postsecondary institutions. This policy and research brief addresses the impact of inconsistent funding for Pell Grants and their power as a tool for supporting students to and through college. Federal and state policymakers should push for higher levels and steadier Pell Grant funding. Policymakers in the South should especially make consistent and reliable Pell Grant funding a top priority in the federal budget, with an eye toward a better-prepared and more skilled workforce to keep the region and nation economically competitive.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677506
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The federal Pell Grant program provides over 6.2 million students each year with financial assistance for college and college-related expenses. Its funding levels, however, are not a given and can fluctuate year-to-year in each budget set by Congress. Inconsistent funding levels are one factor that can impact many students' opportunity to attend postsecondary institutions. This policy and research brief addresses the impact of inconsistent funding for Pell Grants and their power as a tool for supporting students to and through college. Federal and state policymakers should push for higher levels and steadier Pell Grant funding. Policymakers in the South should especially make consistent and reliable Pell Grant funding a top priority in the federal budget, with an eye toward a better-prepared and more skilled workforce to keep the region and nation economically competitive.