To no one’s surprise, when Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, he heard divergent views from Republicans and Democrats on the state of education in America today.  However, the Secretary did hear bipartisan support for the Pell Grant program across the political spectrum. 

Cardona presented the Administration’s FY 2024 Budget Request for the Department of Education, which seeks $90 billion, a 14% overall increase in appropriated funding. For the Pell Grant program, it requests an $820 increase in the maximum grant, $500 of which is from appropriated funds. With an additional $320 in mandatory funds, the Department requests an $8,215 Pell Grant maximum, in keeping with the goal of doubling Pell by 2029.   

The bipartisan support for Pell was also reflected in the comments made by the committee chair and ranking member. 

In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) said, “I am a long-time supporter of Pell Grants and the TRIO program.  Pell Grants and participation in TRIO help first generation college students chart a course to a better future in the middle class.  We need to continue to help these students not only enroll, but also graduate and find good paying jobs.” 

In her opening statement, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) talked about the bipartisan passage of last year’s bill “to make higher education accessible to even more students, we proudly fought to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500, the most in more than a decade, for the second year in a row. We have made college more affordable so that students from diverse and underserved backgrounds have a fair shot at a high-quality postsecondary education.”

Generally, the Republican majority on the subcommittee highlighted concerns with the Administration’s proposal for student loan forgiveness costing billions of dollars and being unfair to taxpayers and non-college graduates.  Republicans also expressed concerns about the Administration’s proposed rule on Title IX related to transgender students participating in athletics.   

On the Democratic side, members generally praised the Administration’s request and highlighted concerns with the Republican leadership’s proposed funding cuts to balance an increase in the debt ceiling. Republican leaders have floated the possibility of lowering spending to FY 2022 levels, which would be the equivalent of targeting a 22% cut to non-defense spending. 

Throughout the hearing, Democrats asked the Secretary what the impact of such cuts would be on a variety of programs. The Secretary replied by citing the numbers reflected in his response to Rep. DeLauro’s request for feedback on the cut in January. For example, the Secretary noted that the Pell Grant maximum could be cut by $1,000 and lose 80,000 students if the proposed cuts were enacted. 

Despite the disparate views on education issues from the parties, bipartisan support for the Pell Grant program was evident throughout the hearing, with members asking about the program or noting their own experience as Pell Grant recipients. A few notable comments include:

• Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) mentioned he was a Pell Grant recipient, and is the lead sponsor for the Pell Grant Preservation Act, which doubles the Pell Grant maximum. 
• Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) noted the number of Pell Grant recipients in his district and asked the Secretary how the Pell Grant will expand with new FAFSA rules. Cardona said he would share those estimates with the subcommittee. 
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) mentioned his long-time support for Pell Grants and other programs across the education spectrum and voiced his concern about potential cuts that could turn back the gains from the last three years. 
• Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) indicated support for Pell, asking about Cardona’s support for short-term Pell.
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) indicated he was a Pell Grant recipient and a first-generation college student. 

Many other members from both parties on the House Appropriations Committee and throughout Congress are Pell Grant recipients and support increased funding for the maximum grant. 

The next step in the appropriations process is for all subcommittees to hear from the agencies they fund and consider the Administration’s requests. Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) has indicated she will work with her House Republican Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs to set a top line spending level, then write subcommittee bills in May, with the hope of bringing bills to the floor for votes in June and July.