Pell Turns 50 and College Completion in Colorado

Over the past 50 years, the Pell Grant program has made college possible for 80 million students. Pell Grants remain the most effective federal investment in college affordability, but the current award covers less than one-third of the average cost of attending a four-year public college — the lowest share in more than 40 years. This week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant, many advocates are?urging policymakers to?#DoublePell ?in order to help current and future students make their education dreams a reality.

Our friends at the?National College Attainment Network ?(NCAN) share how you can help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant:?

1. Show your appreciation for the Pell Grant on social media?by using the #PellTurns50 and #DoublePell hashtags. Need content ideas? You can use messaging from the NCAN?social media toolkit .
2. Send a prewritten message of support for the Pell Grant program to policymakers?by?visiting NCAN's Action Center . You have the option to personalize your correspondence, and it only takes a minute to complete.

Even though the Pell Grant has been effective in making college more affordable and accessible for millions of students over its tenure, thousands of eligible students are missing out on receiving funds to support their postsecondary pathway. In Colorado alone, an estimated $30 million in?student financial aid has gone unused . This is partially due to students not completing the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), whose completion is necessary for a learner to?qualify for financial aid – including the Pell Grant. This means to expand college affordability, it is essential to reduce barriers from the very start of the financial aid process.?

In one of our?April newsletters , I shared how the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) convened a working group of postsecondary and secondary stakeholders to recommend ways to increase student completion of the FAFSA. The CDHE?Financial Aid Application Working Group Report ’s main goal is to have at least 80% of graduating Colorado seniors submitting a FAFSA by July 2026 – which is a notable increase since less than half of?eligible students applied ?in 2021-2022. Colorado?House Bill 1366 ?addresses this issue by?creating ?“a directory of resources for educators to share, boost training in helping students apply for financial aid, and require schools to notify students about financial aid when mapping out high school plans.”

If you have a story to share about how the Pell Grant program has impacted your life, please share it?here .

Spotlight on Colorado Education and Workforce

This month, Gov. Jared Polis signed an?Executive Order ?directing ?the Departments of Labor & Employment (CDLE) and Personnel & Administration (DPA) “to develop statewide guidance and strategies to expand the number of registered apprenticeship programs offered by state agencies by 20 percent by the end of Fiscal Year 2022-23.” The Executive Order also directs CDLE and DPA to create an apprenticeship classification system for high-demand jobs, offer training for organizations to better evaluate and improve current apprenticeship programs, and provide support and resources focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Coupled with other efforts to increase workforce training across the state, like the Colorado Workforce Development Council’s?Reskill, Upskill, New Skill Grant supporting summer internships for rural high school students’ pursuing construction trade and technical education, workforce opportunities continue to grow for Coloradans seeking accessible training that can lead to high-paying jobs.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Credential Engine’s Equity Advisory Council Second Open Meeting , June 23 at 11am MT (Virtual, registration required)
• 2022 Colorado OER Conference , June 24, History Colorado (Denver)
• RFI:?Education Technology Products Credentialing Life-Cycle ,?Credential Engine, Due June 30
• Job Announcement:?Communications Manager ,?National College Attainment Network, Due July 1
• SAVE THE DATE!?Virtual Book Talk with Michael Horn: From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child, July 13 at 12pm MT
• The Future of Work: Talent Pipelines Reimagined , Partners including the?Colorado Business Roundtable?and the?Colorado Workforce Development Council, July 14 at 1pm MT (Denver, registration required)
• National Dual Mission Summit , November 2-4 (Glenwood Springs, CO)
• Job Announcement:?Communications Director ,?Colorado Succeeds
• NEW! Job Announcement:?Senior Research Analyst ,?Strada Education

What We’re Reading

• With universal preschool, can Colorado boost workforce pay? ?by Ann Schimke of?Chalkbeat Colorado
• Report: Almost 40% of Colorado's 2021 higher ed funding came from federal aid by Robert Davis of?The Center Square
• How colleges and universities can bring Pell Grant-funded programs back to prisons ?by Bradley D. Custer of?Center for American Progress
• The Wall Street Journal is wrong about Pell Grants ?by David H. Feldman and Donald E. Heller of?POLITICO
• Putting the Pell Grant to work—in the workforce ?by Maria Flynn and Jeremy J. Wheaton of?The Hill
• Mitch Daniels’ triumphant tenure as Purdue President ?by Frederick M. Hess of?American Enterprise Institute
• Digital skills for the future of work: Lifelong learner ?from?Upskill with Edtech?(podcast)