May 21, 2024 - Washington, D.C. – On Monday, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I), and 40 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Appropriators pushing them to provide robust investment in the Pell Grant program for FY 2025, including a discretionary increase to the award.

 Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) 

“We remain concerned that the value of the Pell Grant has steadily declined since it was first created – now covering the lowest share of the cost of attendance in its 50-year history. Increasing the maximum award would provide a substantial investment toward reversing this decades-long decline,” wrote the senators.

“With a continued investment in the Pell Grant, we can better extend educational opportunity to more students from low- and moderate- income families, who will be critical to meeting the demand for a highly educated-workforce,” the senators concluded.

More than 41,000 students in Nevada and over 6 million students across the states rely on the Pell Grant to pursue higher education. That’s why Cortez Masto and her colleagues call for its discretionary allocation to effectively:

• Meet the needs of students;
• Protect all Pell Grant program reserves; and
• Expand eligibility to students who have been historically excluded or previously cut out from being eligible for the Pell Grant.

The full text of the letter is available here.

Senator Cortez Masto has stood up for Nevada’s students throughout her time in the Senate. She has introduced legislation to reform the Pell Grant and federal student loan system so that more Nevadans can access higher education.She has also consistently supported federal funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, including the four Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Nevada.
Source: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto