Katsouros: Cuts to Pell Grant funding would undermine student success

Dear Friends of CTB,

At CTB’s final board meeting of the fiscal year last week, the board collectively voiced concern regarding recent federal budget proposals including the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).” The OBBBA recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. There has been a great deal of media attention surrounding potential cuts to key safety net programs included in the bill, but less attention has been paid to its impact on individuals pursuing post-secondary education.  Cumulatively, the bill’s proposed cuts to student financial aid will significantly increase the financial burden of college attendance for millions of students and put postsecondary attainment entirely out of reach for many, including students at Come to Believe Network model colleges.

Of specific concern to CTB are the proposed changes to the federal Pell Grant program.  Various budget proposals, including the House version of the OBBBA as well as a recent White House proposal, aim to make it more difficult for students to access the Pell grant (by increasing credit requirements beyond standard full-time enrollment) and to make the Pell grant less generous overall. Thankfully, yesterday’s budget proposal by the Senate HELP committee avoided incorporating these drastic cuts to Pell, but deliberations will continue in the coming days and weeks and it is critical to remain vigilant.

CTB colleges are designed to be a highly efficient postsecondary solution, with every federal aid dollar used as impactfully as possible and complemented by robust private fundraising. Making Pell harder to access and less generous undermines solutions like the CTB model at precisely the time when policymakers should be trying to do the opposite: amplifying and investing in innovative, impactful and highly efficient postsecondary programs like ours.

How can you help?  Please take a moment to visit the Student Aid Alliance’s Contact Congress page. This site allows you to easily send a message to YOUR Senators and your Representative and ask them to STOP these harmful cuts to education that will undermine the success of millions of deserving students and hinder our nation’s economic growth and competitiveness.

 God’s blessings,

Steve Katsouros, SJ

President/CEO

Come to Believe Foundation

New York, NY