Below is sample text that you may wish to use when you reach out to encourage your representatives to support funding for crucial student aid programs in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills. 

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Subject: Protect Funding for Federal Student Aid Programs

Dear Representative [Name],

My name is [name] and I am the [title] at [institution/organization]. I am writing to you as a constituent to request that you support funding for crucial student aid programs as Congress considers fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) Appropriations Subcommittee recently released a funding proposal for FY 2024 that calls for alarming cuts to critical education programs. The bill calls for a total of $57.1 billion for the Department of Education (ED), a 28% reduction from the FY 2023 enacted level. 

Most notably, the proposal eliminates the Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) programs, which provide $1.2 billion and $910 million, respectively, in funding to our country's neediest students each year. In the [district] district of [state] in 2022-2023, [total amount of FWS dollars] in FWS funds were distributed to [total number of FWS students] students, and [total amount of FSEOG dollars] in FSEOG funds were distributed to [total number of FSEOG students] students. Eliminating the FWS and FSEOG programs will have a significant impact on your constituents, particularly low-income students who rely on these programs to cover the costs of postsecondary education. 

The Pell Grant is the cornerstone of the federal student aid programs, providing access to higher education for 6.62 million students each year, many of whom are low-income, first-generation, and students of color and 77% of whom have a family income of less than $40,000. The bill flat-funds the maximum Pell Grant award at $7,395 for 2024-25. This is the first time in over a decade that the Pell Grant has not seen an increase, further decreasing the program's purchasing power. In the [district] district of [state] in 2022-2023, [number of Pell students] students received a total of [insert total amount of Pell funding] in Pell Grants. When accounting for inflation, flat funding for Pell in the FY 2024 House appropriations bill erodes the Pell Grants' ability to serve low-income students.

Together, these three programs make certain that constituents throughout your district have the support they need to access and succeed in higher education. I urge you to reject the proposed cuts and support funding for the FWS, FSEOG, and Pell Grant programs in FY 2024 to ensure our students have the resources they need to pursue their postsecondary aspirations. 

I am happy to discuss this issue further and answer any questions you might have. Thank you again for your support of higher education and [state] students and institutions.

Sincerely,

[Your name and contact information]