Preparing for a dramatic expansion in the number of incarcerated students eligible for Pell Grants, the U.S. Department of Education has released new regulations to guide higher education institutions offering prison education programs.
Topics: Financial aid
Report: Colleges increasingly unaffordable for Pell Grant recipients
The National College Attainment Network finds that two- and four-year colleges are becoming more unaffordable for the average Pell Grant recipient.
Benefits navigators offer support to college students struggling to meet basic needs
As more students face basic needs insecurity, colleges and universities are hiring benefits navigators to connect them to crucial aid and support.
FAFSA completion rates edge closer to pre-pandemic levels
Free Application for Federal Student Aid completions were up 4.6% as of July 1 compared to last year—gains partly attributed to a rebound in FAFSA filings among low-income students and students of color.
Celebrating 50 years of Pell Grant aid
In the decades since its implementation, the Pell Grant program has supported 80 million students, but its purchasing power has not kept pace with college costs.
Tuition discount rates climb even higher
The amount private colleges discount their tuition and fees reached record highs of 49% for all undergraduates and 54.5% for first-time, full-time undergraduates.
The uneven burden and benefit of state merit scholarships
State scholarship programs that award aid based on academic achievement have been touted as a way to increase opportunity for students from all backgrounds. Years later, they are perpetuating racial gaps.
Drop in FAFSA renewals shows lingering college retention problems
The number of FAFSA filings for 2022-23 fell by nearly 9% compared to a year ago, even as the number of new filings increased.
Want students to understand just how low their tuition would be? Guarantee it up front.
Uncertainty about college costs can deter low-income students from considering elite institutions, even those offering extensive aid. New research shows the power of early assurances.
Williams College drops loans, work-study requirements from financial aid packages
The institution says it is the first U.S. college to do so and hopes its “all-grant” approach will enable more students to fully participate in the college experience.
What happens when states mandate FAFSA completion?
Several states now require high school students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Their FAFSA filings have increased—but so have concerns about sapping scarce resources from other college-access efforts.
Spending package boosts maximum Pell Grant by $400
The recently passed fiscal year 2022 budget includes $3 billion for higher education, an additional $25 billion for federal student aid, and the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant in more than a decade.