No Matter the Amount, Pell Grants Count

By Diana Chavez Cruz, College of the Holy Cross ‘24

My parents immigrated to the United States from El Salvador with nothing but a dream to see their daughters succeed in life. I was driven by my parents’ perseverance and hard work and knew at an early age that I wanted to go to college and have a successful career. However, I feared that our financial disparities would be a major setback, and that there would be a possibility I would not be able to go to college because I could not afford it.

When I received my financial aid package from the College of the Holy Cross before my freshman year two years ago, I noticed that on top of the outside scholarships I had earned, I also received a Pell Grant. The amount I received from Pell helped me to cover a portion of my room and board costs, which helped me significantly. If it were not for Pell covering these small but critical fees, I would not have been able to pay my tuition bill.

From experience, I acknowledge that the Pell Grant helps significantly, no matter the amount. When I became a second-year student, I was no longer Pell-eligible, and I had no form of paying for my tuition. To cover my tuition and other expenses, I had to take out loans and work three jobs on campus. If I had received the Pell grant during my second year, it would have allowed me more time to focus on my studies and participate in extracurricular activities on campus.

Ultimately, the Pell grant has helped me significantly, and I can imagine it has helped millions of students over the past fifty years since the program was founded. The Pell grant has made college affordable and ensured students’ access to education. That is why Congress needs to increase the Pell grant: by taking this initiative, Congress will help ensure students with financial disparities attend college and become professionals who contribute to this country.