Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026

This bill would raise the maximum Federal Pell Grant from $10,000 in the 2026-2027 award year to $15,000 by 2031-2032, then adjust it each year for inflation. It would fund all Pell Grants through automatic (mandatory) federal spending instead of yearly appropriations. Students whose families received means-tested federal benefits in the past two years would be treated as having a student aid index of -$1,500, which would raise their grant above the maximum. The bill would also let certain undocumented students who came to the U.S. as children qualify for federal student aid, raise the limit on Pell Grant semesters from 12 to 18, and restore eligibility for students whose other grants and scholarships cover their full cost of attendance. It would also change satisfactory academic progress rules, including letting students who have been out of school for 2 years have their aid eligibility reset up to two times.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Mark Pocan Democrat sponsor
• 54 cosponsors