Enrollment at a community college is often decided by whether a student qualifies for a Pell Grant—the average amount currently is $4,149. Lawmakers understood this reality when the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act made it easier for students to apply for aid and expanded the reach of Pell Grants by broadening student eligibility through the setting of new income standards.
Consider Kaleigh Poff, who was not awarded a Pell when she applied in 2022, but was thrilled when she became eligible in 2024—enrolling in three classes at Northeast State Community College in Tennessee. She also works 30-35 hours a week in memory care at an assisted living facility.
Poff is exactly the kind of student who was empowered by the Pell changes: Like many community college students, neither of her parents graduated from college and she is loan averse. She would rather work full time than borrow for education and the Pell funds enabled her to reduce her work hours from 40-45 hours a week, a transformational change, Poff says. “I have not been nearly as stressed from a mental stand point… as well as a financial standpoint. It has been a big weight off.” Her goal of becoming a cardiovascular invasive specialist in a cardiac catheterization lab is finally in sight.