Elizabeth Stroble, Chancellor, Webster University writes: Creating educational opportunities across race and class is imperative not only for underserved populations, but also for our economy and business sector as a whole. 

This is why heads of industry in St. Louis have recognized the importance of diversifying our workforce and creating on-ramps for higher education and professional development. 

Greater St. Louis Inc., for example, is focused on addressing racial disparity in quality jobs in our community. Consultant Bruce Katz of New Localism Associates said, “One of the qualitative goals we have put out there (in the Greater St. Louis Jobs Plan) is an increase in the share of Black workers with quality jobs. There’s a gap between white workers and Black workers with quality jobs…. Closing that gap and outpacing peers is a critical need.” 

Pell Grants are the major federal program to award direct financial aid to lower-income students. They are intended to ensure that every student, regardless of financial circumstances, can afford a college education. Currently, Congress is considering critical legislation to double the Pell Grant. Unlike one-size fits all proposals, Double Pell Grants create the greatest opportunity for those who have the greatest need. And we cannot wait.

In our region, 18,929 students in the 1st Congressional District, which includes St. Louis city and north St. Louis County, receive $71.1 million in Pell Grants. In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes south and west St. Louis County, 6,847 students receive $26.2 million. The regional need for funding the Pell Grant program is clear. This funding is needed to help develop a diverse and skilled workforce for the St. Louis region.

We like to say, “The time is now.” But we are past that. Each day that we delay may hold back yet another underserved student. We must pass this legislation. We must affirm our commitment to our students and to our communities. Clearly, educating the region’s students for the jobs that create stronger futures for them and their families results in benefits for them and the St. Louis region.

Today, the Pell Grant program serves more than 6.7 million students, or about 40% of all undergraduates, according to Forbes. Doubling the Pell Grant is the quickest and best way to provide access and success for lower-income students.

Students qualify for Pell Grants if their family’s total household income is less than $50,000 annually. These grants, importantly not loans, serve nearly 60% of African American students and nearly half of Latina students in higher education.

At Webster University, about 35% of our students receive Pell Grants. This federal support, paired with the generosity of donor-funded scholarships, state access grants and maintaining a freeze on tuition costs, means that we can successfully educate an economically diverse group of students. Their success in attaining a degree closes the equity gap in degree attainment for our region.  

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Webster University’s success in graduating students with the greatest need with less debt has been recognized locally by St. Louis gaduates and nationally in U.S. News and World Report.

Webster University sophomore Brennaé Jackson, a Pell Grant recipient and Donald M. Suggs Scholar from St. Louis city, said, “The Pell Grant is essential in ensuring the educational longevity of scholars belonging to low socioeconomic status and/or minority communities, including students like me. As many people are aware, there is a resource and opportunity disparity present in these communities, hence why most Pell Grant recipients have an annual household income of less than $20,000. The increased monetary assistance through these grants provides an opportunity for those communities to thrive, as it has allowed me to continue my educational journey in college.”

However, we and our students are already playing catch-up. Doubling the Pell Grant addresses a number of critical needs. Students now cobble together loans with long hours of work, which negatively impacts their ability to progress academically while saddling them with debt upon graduation.  

“Doubling the Pell Grant maximum from $6,495 to $13,000 is the single most important step Congress can take to make access to college possible for all students," NAICU President Barbara Mistick said. "Pell Grants are a proven bipartisan program and the fairest and most efficient way to help low-income and first-generation students access and complete college."

Elizabeth Stroble is the chancellor of Webster University.