Senator Murray Secures Wins to Lower Cost of College

Spending bill includes $400 boost to maximum Pell Grant award—the largest increase in the maximum Pell Grant award since the 2009-10 school year

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, released the following statement on key wins included in the FY22 spending package to make college more affordable and accessible.

“College should be affordable, and no one should have to give up their dreams of getting a higher education because tuition payments are just too high or because they don’t have the support they need to succeed.

“I’m focused on how we can lower the cost of college and support students, and that’s exactly what this bill will help do. Pell Grants—the main source of federal support for so many college students—will now go further, especially for students with the tightest budgets. And this bill will do more to ensure students succeed in college, including by providing child care for student parents and building support networks for first generation students, students of color, students with disabilities, and others who too often face steep challenges.

“Putting a higher education within reach for everyone isn’t just good for students, it’s good for our economy too. This bill gets us closer to that goal—and I’ll keep working to build on this progress.”

The legislation will increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $400 (or 6.2%) to $6,895 for the 2022-23 school year—which is the largest increase since the 2009-10 school year. Each year, Pell Grants help approximately 7 million students pursue a post-secondary education.

The bill also includes:

• $1.1 billion, an increase of $40 million for TRIO, and $378 million, an increase of $10 million for GEAR UP—programs that help low-income and first generation students prepare for college and succeed once they’re there;
• $65 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program to increase access to affordable and convenient child care options for student parents—and lifts the cap on CCAMPIS grant awards to more accurately reflect the costs of providing high-quality child care; and
• $885 million, an increase of $96 million for programs to strengthen HBCUs, TCUs, MSIs, and other under-resourced institutions of higher education that serve a high percentage of low-income students and students of color.

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