Cutting Pell Grants Is No Way to Cut US Debt: Mary Ellen Klas

To preserve tax cuts for the wealthy, the Republican budget reconciliation proposals moving through Congress cut programs for the neediest in ways that will lead to higher costs for everyone in the long run. The plans include not only cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, but also to Pell Grants, the program that provides federal assistance for higher education.

The first Pell Grant was awarded in 1973 and since then has helped millions of low-income students attend college. The grants overwhelmingly go to the poorest households — only 6% of Pell Grant recipients come from families that earn over $60,000 annually. The program’s ...