Rep. Wild Leads 94 Lawmakers in Urging Congress to Fund Programs that Increase College Affordability and Accessibility

Today, Rep. Wild led a bipartisan group of Members of Congress in a letter urging support for Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs in the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations process. Specifically, the Members requested $1.15 billion for the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program and $1.603 billion for the Federal Work Study (FWS) program. With 93 additional signatories, Rep. Wild nearly doubled the support for the programs this year compared to the prior year's appropriations request.

The SEOG and FWS programs work together with Pell Grants and Direct Student Loans to provide low-income students a manageable balance of grants, loans, and work to help pay for their undergraduate education. These programs were created as an incentive for institutions to partner with the federal government to support qualified low-income students attending college.

"From the beginning of my time in Congress, I have worked to make education more accessible and affordable in Pennsylvania and across the country," said Congresswoman Wild. "As we aim to level the playing field for all students wishing to pursue higher education, we must ensure robust funding for campus-based aid, to create better opportunities and pathways to success."

"APLU applauds Congresswoman Wild and her colleagues for their leadership in supporting campus-based student aid programs that increase college affordability, advance student success, and build a U.S. workforce prepared to outcompete on a global stage," said Mark Becker, President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). "Funding for these vital programs has not come close to keeping pace with inflation, despite undiminished student need. Increased funding for these programs will greatly support students throughout the nation."

"Higher education should be a path to the American Dream, but that dream cannot be fully realized if students don't have access to the resources they need to thrive," said Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, the leader of the Senate companion letter. "As the first in my family to go to college and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee-the committee responsible for government funding-I am pushing for strong campus-based aid in the next government funding bill. Increasing resources for campus-based programs like Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study can help students thrive at colleges in Oregon and across the nation."

In their letter, the Members wrote, "Campus-based aid programs are the original federal partnerships in higher education. They were created as an incentive for institutions to partner with the federal government to support qualified low-income students attending college."

"Furthermore, the program requires that schools provide a 25 percent minimum match in most cases, ensuring they have a financial incentive to promote student success. Many institutions go above and beyond the requirement, especially in grant aid. As Congress continues to address unanticipated costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must continue to support our institutions and the students they serve,"the Members continued.

###