Pell Grant Program
This report is a response to the following questions: What is the purpose of the Pell grant program, and based on the performance of the program how should it be funded for the 2015 fiscal year? This report will answer questions regarding the Pell grant by first addressing the history and development of the grant program from when it was first implemented to now, and analyzing the achievements and goals of the program in order to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to adjust funding for the 2015 fiscal year. This report will find that due to effective performance of the Pell grant program, and the importance of the programs mission/goals, the program should increase current funding levels for the 2015 fiscal year.
Program Origins and Purpose (Mission)
In this specific section of the executive summary on the Pell grant program I will give a brief overview of the Pell grant program including the history, the statutory origins, the justification for the program and how it has been amended over time. The Pell Grant program is a federal grant program that assists undergraduates of low-income families who are actively attending universities and or other secondary institutions. The Pell Grant went through copious amounts of changes in order for it to become the program it is today. In 1965, Congress passed the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) due to President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration's dedication to improve and assist higher education in the United States. The original intent of the HEA program was to help supplement lower and middle income students cost of college education. The HEA program included not only grants but HEA program also included low interest loans to students who did not qualify for grants. In 1972, Title IX Higher Education Amendments were a response to to the distribution of aid, or lack there of, at the time. Claiborne Pell a Democrat Senator from Rhode Island was