California Legislators Want Pell Grant Doubled + Education Grants

There is a wide range of ways to receive an education these days. But many still seek a college education. And, even though most Americans do not have a college degree, millions of Americans attend college every year. Many of those students receive some form of financial aid. In fact, according to recent education data, 86.4% of first-time, first-year undergraduate students will receive some form of student aid.

While many students take out federal student loans to cover costs, select financial aid program rely on grants, especially the Pell Grant program. This grant program, formerly known as Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, offers a maximum grant of $6,495. And now, California legislators want that program to be expanded to help more students.

Will the Pell Grant Program See Major Expansion?

Currently, over 700,000 students who attend California’s public schools receive Pell Grants. And now, administrators and student governments have launched an initiative calling on the federal government to expand the program. Towards this, the UC president’s office and the UC Student Association joined California higher education officials in signing a letter to California’s representatives in Washington, D.C. to prioritize this proposal.

Being eligible for the Pell Grant, and for exactly how much, depends on several factors. These include expected family contribution, cost of attendance, student status and other financial information.

The initiative called Double The Pell, calls on Congress to double the maximum award of Pell Grants per student from $6,500 to $13,000. Those in favor of this change say that this will help with three aspects:

1. Easing the burden of student loan debt: Many students are forced to take out thousands in student loans; expansion could lower that debt burden.
2. Helping cover cost of basic needs for students: Many low-income students have trouble covering food, housing, and healthcare while studying full-time.
3. Expanding financial aid to more families: If the program receives more federal funding, more students could receive funds.

In California, where the cost of living is incredibly high, this proposed Pell Grant expansion could mean a lot for students looking to study at public California universities.

And, speaking about education-related funding, let’s also talk about the grants related to education we list at GrantWatch.

Grantwatch Lists Grants to Help Increase Access to Education

We know how important it is that education is available and affordable. That’s why we’re so glad to not only list a Scholarship grant category but also have scholarships listed for financial help. We also have an Education grant category listed as well.

Here a few grants our subscribers might want to look at:

1. Scholarships To Alaska Students To Pursue Health and Human Services Degree.
2. Scholarship for a Michigan Student To Pursue an Undergraduate Degree: Either at a University or Fire or Police Academy
3. And, a Scholarships for a California Student (Sacramento resident only) For College Expenses

If you have any questions about these grant categories, feel free to reach out to our customer support team! You can reach our team members by calling 561-249-4129.