“We appreciate that President Biden reportedly will propose an increase of at least $2,000 to the maximum Pell Grant and call for an expansion of existing institutional aid grants to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and other minority-serving institutions during tonight’s State of the Union address.
We commend the president for his continued recognition of the value of Pell Grants, a proven and effective program which helps roughly seven million moderate- and low-income students gain access to postsecondary education each year, and his recognition of the singular importance of HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs and other minority-serving institutions. While these steps are not by themselves sufficient to correct all the existing inequities in higher education, we welcome this dramatic demonstration of the administration’s willingness to invest in the nation’s human capital.”