WHY NOW?
Congress is deliberating proposed cuts to the PELL GRANT* program, threatening the future of thousands of low-income students, including many served by The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. As a nonpartisan organization, the Foundation monitors key public policy issues that impact the students and families we serve, including the Pell Grant program.
Now is the time to speak up and protect Pell Grants. Congressional decisions affecting the future of the Pell Grant program are happening quickly. Personal messages from constituents, especially those who can share firsthand how Pell Grants have made a difference in their lives, matter.
TAKE ACTION IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS:
- Identify your elected officials. Use this tool to find the staffers for your congressional representatives.
- Send a message. Let your legislators know that you want them to PROTECT PELL and WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU.
- Spread the word. Share this information with your community and urge them to speak up on this important matter.
Below, find a helpful message template:
Dear [STAFFER NAME],
I’m writing to urge [MEMBER OF CONGRESS] to protect our nation’s hardworking, low-income students and oppose harmful changes advancing in the reconciliation bill.
The bill purports to cut cost while making many students ineligible for what they need, including:
- Imposing an arbitrary cap for federal financial aid using a national average “cost of attendance”;
- Redefining full-time enrollment for Pell eligibility from 12 to 15 credit hours per semester; and,
- Eliminating Pell eligibility for students enrolled less than half-time.
Combined, these changes may save money but will leave low-income students without adequate opportunity to pursue post-secondary education and training, especially those who must also work to support themselves and their families.
In [INSERT YOUR STATE], more than [XX,XXX] students rely on Pell Grants to pursue their degrees. At least 25% of those students may find themselves quite suddenly ineligible if these proposed provisions stand. Barriers to educational access have lasting negative effects on today’s students and on our future economic well-being.
Students and families must make college decisions now for 2025-26, and they deserve certainty and support, not additional barriers and uncertainty.
I respectfully urge [MEMBER OF CONGRESS] to reject these harmful proposals and preserve the integrity and accessibility of the Pell Grant program.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
*The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates and is designed to assist students from low-income households. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. To qualify for a Pell Grant, a student must demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA®) form.
(https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/federal-pell-grant-program)
Read more ON OUR BLOG.
To read about all of The Scholarship Foundation’s Legislative Priorities, click HERE.
Page updated on May 1, 2025
