University President Asks Members of Congress to “Double the Pell”

Rockhurst University President the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J., met virtually Wednesday with members of Missouri’s federal congressional delegation with a simple message — double the Pell.

It was part of a broader effort by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities to push elected officials to boost the maximum available Pell Grant to $13,000 a year. Leaders say the move can have an outsized effect as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, as the low-income students and communities who benefit most from the Pell Grant are also most affected by the pandemic’s toll on the economy, which in turn had an impact on college enrollment and accessibility.

“The last year and a half has been a trying one for our institution as well as our faculty, staff and, especially, our students,” Fr. Curran said. “Doubling the Pell Grant now not only provides much-needed access to higher education for hundreds of Rockhurst University students in financial need —moves us from recovery to reinvestment in higher education.”

Established in 1965, the Federal Pell Grant program was designed to help students with high financial need afford college. In the state of Missouri alone, more than 100,000 students currently receive Pell Grants for college. Pell recipients at Rockhurst currently make up 25% of the total student population. The Pell Grant has made higher education affordable without the need to take on full-time work, multiple jobs, or additional debt for generations of high-achieving, low-income college students while also improving graduation rates among that population.

It’s about more than providing highly qualified students a path to both start and complete their college degree on time. According to AJCU, doubling the Pell Grant amount is an economic booster for the country at large, as four-year degree earners report higher gross incomes after entering the job market. Helping students graduate on time with less debt means they can more quickly transition to their careers, begin to earn and pay the federal investment in their education back in the form of taxes.

“This is a great day for the AJCU network. It is really encouraging to see so many presidents from our AJCU schools taking the lead in advocating for their students and for policy that will benefit their communities and the nation,” said Jenny Smulson, vice president of government relations at AJCU. “Doubling the Pell Grant is an investment in our people that will create greater equity and opportunity through education.”