PELL Act

Sponsor: Jim Banks (Republican-IN)December 11, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Boosts Pell Grants for millions of students by ending some college funding for minority-serving institutions.

This bill would increase the maximum Federal Pell Grant for millions of students starting in the 2028-2029 school year. It would do this by ending over $350 million in federal funding programs that currently go to colleges based on their students' racial or ethnic makeup. Colleges would also be barred from receiving federal money if they discriminate based on race in admissions or hiring.

What Would Change

Today, over $350,000,000 in federal grants go to colleges based on the racial or ethnic makeup of their students. After this bill, most of these specific grants would end, and the savings would boost Federal Pell Grants for millions of students starting in the 2028-2029 school year. Also, colleges that discriminate based on race or ethnicity in admissions or hiring would not get federal money.

Key Provisions

Increases Federal Pell Grant awards for students starting in the 2028-2029 school year, using savings from other programs.
Ends most federal funding programs for colleges based on their students' racial or ethnic makeup, including specific programs for Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Blocks federal money from going to colleges that discriminate based on race or ethnicity in admissions or hiring.
Changes eligibility for many federal science and education programs to focus on colleges serving many Federal Pell Grant recipients or low-income students.
Reduces specific federal funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities from $255,000,000 to $115,000,000.

View on Congress.gov

S 3433 · 119th Congress · December 11, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 6/10

PELL Act

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity