The Pell Grant Program: Background and Issues. CRS Report for Congress

A background of the Pell Grant program (the largest in terms of appropriations of the federal student financial aid programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act as amended) is presented. Four sections are as follows: background and issues (introduction, Pell Grant program description, eligibility for Pell Grants, and profile of Pell Grant recipients); funding trends; appendix: legislative history (Education Amendments of 1972, Education Amendments of 1976 and 1977, Middle Income Student Assistance Act, Education Amendments of 1980, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, and the Higher Education Amendments of 1986); and calculation of the Pell Grant expected family contribution for a dependent student. Statistics on the Pell Grant program include the following: a Pell Grant cannot exceed 60% of the total cost of attendance at an applicant's particular institutin or a maximum amount per year, whichever is less; and in academic year 1988-89 it is estimated that 3.1 million students will participate in the Pell Grant program, funded by a fiscal year 1988 appropriation of $4.260 billion. (SM)