For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Leslie K Paige, Gabrielle Anglin
Email: lpaige@goacta.org, ganglin@goacta.org
Phone: (202) 798-5425
Washington DC, July 28, 2021 – American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) President Michael Poliakoff is scheduled to testify before the House Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10:15 a.m. on supporting the success of Pell Grant students. The following is a synopsis of President Poliakoff’s testimony:
“The Pell Grant has been the cornerstone of America’s investment in college financial aid for nearly 50 years. But for Pell Grants to fulfill their promise going forward, additional layers of accountability must be applied. There is little evidence to suggest that increasing the amount of federal funds available to students will solve problems plaguing higher education. Attempts to tackle college affordability must first recognize that the student debt crisis is fundamentally a spending crisis. A significant portion of this spending goes to non-instructional sources at universities and colleges, such as student services, administration, and construction. Growth in tuition has outpaced aid, forced families to pay more to send their children to college, and increased student loan debt held by the average borrower. The absence of Pell Grant Program oversight at the institutional level has been shocking. ACTA recommends increased oversight and particular scrutiny of the completion rates at institutions that receive Pell Grant students.”
Who: ACTA President Michael Poliakoff
What: House Subcommittee Hearing on the Pell Grant Program
When: Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10:15 a.m.
Where: via Zoom
https://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/keeping-the-pell-grant-promise-increasing-enrollment-supporting-success
ACTA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability in higher education. We receive no government funding and are supported through the generosity of individuals and foundations
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On July 29, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff provided testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee. The subcommittee discussed legislation that would double the maximum amount of the Pell Grant over the next five years. President Poliakoff counseled congressional leaders to examine if colleges are using federal funds responsibly. He […]
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