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Even as Pell Grants Grow, They Cover a Smaller Portion of College Costs

August 21, 2011

HOME: ▶ Almanac 2011	SECTIONS: ▶ Finance	▶ The Profession	▶ Student Demographics
	▶ Access and Equity	▶ Technology	▶ International

Spending for the Pell Grants program more than doubled from 1999-2000 to 2009-10 as the government increased the maximum amount and college enrollments grew ...

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HOME: ▶ Almanac 2011	SECTIONS: ▶ Finance	▶ The Profession	▶ Student Demographics
	▶ Access and Equity	▶ Technology	▶ International

Spending for the Pell Grants program more than doubled from 1999-2000 to 2009-10 as the government increased the maximum amount and college enrollments grew ...

	Maximum grant	Average grant	Number of grantees	Total program spending
1989-90	$3,982	$2,490	3,322,151	$8,271,009,109
1999-2000	$4,037	$2,474	3,763,710	$9,312,025,909
2009-10	$5,350	$3,646	7,738,000	$28,213,000,000

… but because the sticker price for college grew even faster, the maximum Pell Grant award covered a smaller portion of those costs. (Costs here are averages for published tuition, fees, room, and board.)

	Published costs, public 4-year colleges	% of cost covered by Pell	Published costs, private nonprofit 4-year colleges	% of cost covered by Pell
1990-91	$5,074	45%	$13,476	17%
2000-1	$8,439	39%	$22,240	15%
2010-11	$16,140	34%	$36,993	15%