Build Back Better Bill Hurts Low-Income Students at Career Colleges

Education policy should be geared towards providing all Americans with the opportunity to empower themselves intellectually and economically.

Online learning, flexible scheduling, and vocational skills training are examples of options that empower individuals and help them participate as fully as possible in the American economy. 

Unfortunately, there are provisions in the Build Back Better bill that would politicize Pell Grants—federal loans students rely on to pursue the education that best suits them.  Pell grants currently provide millions of low-income students’ access to the secondary education of their choice. The current bill increases Pell Grants by $550 dollars, but politicians with a political ax to grind have inserted language to exclude students who attend career and proprietary colleges from this increase.

This legislation would disproportionately impact African American and Latino students, who make up nearly half the student body at career colleges.  Nationwide, over one million students would be hurt by this change.

Students in several states will be disproportionately impacted by this legislation (see partial list below). Statistical data from the Department of Education confirm that the State of Arizona will lose $66 million in Pell Dollars and that 120,000 students will lose access to expanded benefits. In West Virginia, this legislation would impact 20,000 students, costing the state $10.5 million in education funding. To their credit, Senators Manchin and Sinema have supported protecting Pell Grant access for all students.  We hope that they will continue to do so.

Congress needs to understand that education is the foundation to a growing and developing workforce. That’s why it’s important that we protect Pell, and protect student’s education choice.

West Virginia – Tell the Senate to Protect Pell Equality

Arizona – Tell the Senate to Protect Pell Equality

States Most Negatively Impacted by Pell Discrimination Included in the Build Back Better proposal:

Source:  U.S. Department of Education  https://www2.ed.gov/finaid/prof/resources/data/pellinst1718.xlsx