A bipartisan proposal in the U.S. Senate would open up Pell Grants to low-income students who earn college credits while still enrolled in high school.
The bill introduced last week by Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, and Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, would allow Pell Grant funding for transferable college credits, including general-education requirements, that students complete in an early-college program offered by an accredited institution. The proposed legislation comes as Republicans increasingly have voiced support for dual-enrollment and early-college programs.
"While wages have been largely flat over the past 10 years, the average cost of college tuition and fees at national universities has more than doubled," Portman said in a written statement. "A lot of families are feeling squeezed, and for kids from low-income households, college can feel out of reach. Our legislation would let them get a head start on college, make it more affordable for them and help them get on track to live out their dreams."
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/04/10/senators-want-pell-eligibility-dual-enrollment