New website provides students, families with tools to communicate with Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Erin Powers
Director of Marketing & Communications 
(202) 785-6959 
[email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC, Tuesday, July 13, 2021 — The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is proud to be part of a national campaign, launched today, that seeks to double the maximum annual Pell Grant to $13,000 and help more students earn a degree, get a good-paying job, and achieve a brighter future. 

The campaign features a new website, doublepell.org, that provides students and families with the tools to communicate with Congress, engage on social media, and share personal stories about how the Pell Grant has helped them—and express their support for doubling Pell.

#DoublePell is a national campaign led by the Double Pell Alliance, a coalition of higher education associations, organizations, and advocacy groups committed to doubling the maximum Pell Grant by the 50th anniversary of the creation of the program in June 2022. The Pell Grant is a proven program and the foundation of federal student aid for decades. It helps nearly 7 million low- and moderate-income students attend and complete college annually. 

"Doubling the Pell Grant represents a sustainable, front-end, and long-term solution to college access and affordability issues impacting lower-income students," said NASFAA President Justin Draeger. "It would make up for necessary investments in federal student aid that have been pushed off for decades and, given the support for proposed legislation we've seen across both sides of the aisle in Congress, students and financial aid administrators have a true opportunity to advocate for meaningful change that will ensure more equitable access to postsecondary education for all Americans."

The heart of #DoublePell is the Take Action page, which includes a customizable letter that students, families, alumni, and other stakeholders can send to their members of Congress, and shareable social media graphics to amplify the #DoublePell campaign messages.

For millions of students, Pell Grants make the difference between being able to attend college or not. Pell Grants are well-targeted to students with clear financial need: Nearly 90 percent of all Pell dollars go to students with a family income below $50,000, and are especially critical for students of color. Congress is currently considering proposals to increase the maximum Pell Grant by a total of $1,875. While that represents an improvement, it does not go nearly far enough.

Double Pell already has the support of the Biden administration and widespread, bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. The #DoublePell website will be an important and accessible way for students and families to tell lawmakers why it’s important to double the maximum Pell Grant now. NASFAA and other members of the Double Pell Alliance hope that colleges and universities and an array of organizations will share the #DoublePell website widely with students, families and other stakeholders.

About NASFAA

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 28,000 financial aid professionals at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. NASFAA member institutions serve nine out of every 10 undergraduates in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators.