According to a new paper from the Community College Research Center at Teachers College at Columbia University, the availability of year-round Pell funding increases student enrollment and completion rates at community colleges. The report examines data from 2009-2011—the last years summer Pell funding was available to students.
The study found that for each $1,000 of Pell Grant funding awarded to a student, the likelihood of summer enrollment among those students increases by 27 percentage points and the likelihood of associate degree completion increases by 2.2 percentage points.
In May, Congress approved the restoration of year-round Pell in the 2018 fiscal year spending bill, delivering on a longtime priority of advocates for access to student financial aid. The U.S. Education Department made the grants available to students starting July 1. Students enrolled at least half-time can now get up to 150 percent of their typical grant amount.
Related Links
Is School Out for the Summer? The Impact of Year-Round Pell Grants on Academic and Employment Outcomes of Community College Students
http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/school-out-summer-impact-year-round-pell-grants-academic-employment-outcomes-community-college-students.html