The Role of Pell Grants in Access, Persistence & Completion

The federal student aid programs were created to increase access to postsecondary education. Research demonstrating the benefits of higher education to individuals and society as a whole validates a long-standing tradition within this country of making education available to all sectors of the public. However, the emphasis on access has gradually given way to increased concerns with outcomes and expectations of successful completion. This report reviews the historical role of access in the student aid programs and how perceptions of the value and importance of access are shifting. The authors also review the higher education research to show how a comprehensive approach to student aid could increase access and completion among low-income, first-generation, and other student populations that are underrepresented in higher education. This report also sets the stage for a forum to be held in January 2012 in Washington, DC. A panel of higher education researchers and leaders will explore how the Federal Pell Grant Program impacts access and will discuss innovative, successful college access and support initiatives.