Study Reveals Pell Grant Reductions Linked to Decline in Black College Enrollment

A recent report reveals a troubling decline of nearly half a million Black students enrolled in U.S. colleges over the past decade, attributed to years of inconsistent Pell Grant funding and substantial state budget cuts.Conducted by the University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center for the Southern Education Foundation, the report utilizes data from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Data System and 47 Pell Grant End-of-Year Reports.Between the 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 academic years, Pell Grant funding surged from $14.7 billion to $33.6 billion, boosting the number of federal aid recipients from 5.5 million to 9.4 million. This influx resulted in record enrollments. However, following the conclusion of 2009's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, state funding for colleges diminished, forcing tuition hikes and disproportionately impacting low-income students.The report highlights that nearly 60% of the decline occurred in the South, particularly affecting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It emphasizes the need for stable federal and state investment in Pell Grants to combat this downward trend.