Wnited States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 205 March 26, 2015 ‘The Honorable Roy Blunt The Honorable Patty Murray Chairman Ranking Member Appropriations Subcommittee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Services, and Education Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Blunt and Ranking Member Murray: As you know, Pell Grants are the comerstone of federal higher education financial aid and currently help over 8.2 million students from low and moderate-income families pursue higher education. We write to urge you to maintain Pell Grant eligibility and sustain the current, program funding level, which would fully fund the maximum award scheduled for fiscal year 2016 and preserve any surplus funds to help offset future funding gaps in the program. Increasing the number of workers with education beyond high school is crucial to America’s future economic success. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 90 percent of the fastest growing jobs in our country demand higher education, By 2020, our workforce will need 13 million more workers with bachelor’s degrees and 7 million more with associate's degrees. We will not meet the demand for a highly educated workforce without increasing the number of students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds who are able to afford and get, access to higher education. In 2012, students from higher-income families were more than four times as likely to receive a bachelor’s degree by age 24 than students from lower-income backgrounds, To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs more students to complete higher education programs. Pell Grants are one of the most powerful tools we can use to accomplish this task. We urge you to maintain Pell Grant eligibility and sustain the current program funding level in the fiscal year 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act. Sincerely, — —- Samet Bre Barbara Boxer Sherrod Brown United States Senator United States Senatorhur k 9.‘ J . ¢ MA in LZ United States Senator United States Senator bee nao ln Christopher A. Coons United States Senator MP aos ban Al Franken’ United States Senator Jon Tester United States Senator Benjamin L. Cardin United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Cory A. Booker United States Senator — —— ebdtrur United States Senator Patrick J. Leahy United States Senator Chit SL Charles E. Schumer United States Senator ‘Christopher Murphy United States Senator Lon elormretone— United States SenatorMaria Cantwell United States Senator United States Senator Brian Schatz Eligabeth Warren United States Senator Unijed States Senator Gots ammy Baldwin Sheldon Whitehouse United States Senator United States Senator Richard Blumenthal Michael F. Bennet United States Senator United States Senator United States Senator Robert Menendez United States Senat6r Gary Pet United States Senator ‘Angus 6. King, Jr. United States Senator ‘Joe Magchin TI Kirsten Gillibrand United States Senator United States SenatorOot. Care, . Robert P. Casey, J » Martin Heinrich United States Senator United States Senator