Pell grants to rescue

This year’s pandemic-fueled economic downturn has not been felt equally throughout the working population.

But enrollment at most state colleges has slumped during the covid-19 pandemic. Applications for financial assistance have slowed. That’s why congressional action expanding access to federal needbased aid for higher education was a welcome inclusion in the year-end omnibus spending bill that landed on President Donald Trump’s desk.

Once approved, the legislation will render an estimated 1.7 million new students eligible for the maximum Pell Grant award and qualify an additional 555,000 students for some federal assistance, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

It dramatically simplifies the cumbersome aid application process, slashing dozens of questions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and making it easier for students experiencing homelessness or with a history in foster care to apply for aid.

The bill also restores Pell Grant eligibility for students who have been convicted of drug-related offenses and for those who are serving time in prison or jail. Removing these wrongly erected barriers helps individuals and communities, as people who pursue degrees while they are imprisoned are less likely to re-offend and can have a smoother reentry into society.

These are significant improvements. As Murray wrote in a statement, “Every single person in this country should be able to access and afford a quality higher education—and today we move substantially closer to that goal.”

Simply put, no state in the nation can afford to squander its population’s talents and abilities. Improving access to federal aid for higher education is a welcome step toward making sure every student has the chance to thrive.