Proposed Pell Grant cuts threaten college access for nearly 500,000 Texas college students

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Nearly half a million Texas students stand to get less help paying for college because of aggressive cuts federal lawmakers are considering to a critical financial aid program.

The country’s lowest-income students depend on the Pell Grant to get through college. It is the largest source of grant aid in Texas.

But a U.S. House proposal in the massive budget package President Donald Trump is dubbing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would take significant chunks out of Pell. The Senate is facing pressure from the White House to vote on the bill this weekend.

If it becomes law, the maximum Pell Grant award would drop by about $1,500 and be restricted to students who complete 30 credits per year, a stricter requirement than the current 24 credits. It would also eliminate eligibility for Pell for students who are enrolled less than half-time.

In Texas, the proposal would affect more than 480,000 students and could lead to an estimated financial aid loss of between $353 million and $493 million.

Texas gives out some aid to students to pay for college — but it would struggle to fill the gaps left by Pell cuts. The state already does not provide enough aid to all the students who need it. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board pleaded with state lawmakers this year to expand the agency’s grant programs. Legislators raised funding but not enough to meet the full need among eligible students.

It’s still unclear what Congress’ final Pell Grant proposal will look like. The Senate did not include the House’s changes to Pell eligibility in its version of the bill. The upper chamber’s version would take away Pell access from students who get full-ride scholarships from their schools, which would affect state programs that are set up to cover the full cost of tuition after Pell dollars kick in. Both chambers will have to negotiate any changes that make it into the bill’s final version.

The proposed changes to Pell could push students to make tough choices, with many feeling pressured to take on heavier course loads just to remain eligible for funding, said Jonathan Feinstein, director of The Education Trust in Texas.

“Students may take the extra course… but may be struggling in that class because they're overextended,” Feinstein said. “And then students may actually say, ‘Well, you know, if I don't get the award and I can't manage to make my schedule work, I may just stop out.’”

The proposed cuts would hit community college students the hardest, many of whom go to school part-time to raise a kid or go to work. At Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, for example, about 80% of students attend part-time and could be at risk of losing their Pell award, said Priscilla Camacho, the chief legislative officer of the community college district.

“Time is the enemy to completion,” Camacho said. “Anything that causes a barrier for our students to be able to take the courses that they need … in the time that they are willing and able to take them, that is a big concern to us.”

Camacho said the proposed changes to Pell could also undermine state efforts to bolster supports for parenting students.

Federal efforts earlier this month made it more difficult for undocumented students to afford college in Texas. The Department of Justice sued to repeal a state law that offered in-state tuition rates to them; hours later, Texas agreed to the changes and a judge ruled that the law was unconstitutional.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Education Trust has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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