President Biden has delivered to Congress his Executive Budget and clearly he heard our message.
The Executive Budget includes an additional $2,175 for the maximum Pell Grant, increasing it to $8,670 for the 2023-24 award year. He also resolved to double the Pell Grant, to $13,000, by 2029.
The Department of Education proposed budget includes level funding for both Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work Study but does include increases for both TRIO (+ $200 million) and GEAR UP (+ $40 million). The Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education (FIPSE) includes funding for two new programs: $110 million for Retention and Completion Grants, and $450 million for Research Infrastructure at HBCUs, TCUs and other MSIs.
It should also be noted that the president made no mention of free community college, however that end is achieved by increasing the Pell Grant.