The House budget bill, passed in May, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, includes substantial changes to the Pell Grant program. The Pell Grant is a federal, need-based entitlement grant awarded to eligible students who are enrolled for a minimum of 3 credits and have not yet earned a baccalaureate degree. Currently, students from low-income families can receive up to $7,395 in federal Pell grants for enrolling in full-time courses, which is defined as a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Students who take fewer than 12 credits may be eligible for a lower, prorated amount.

Proposed changes in the current budget bill include raising the minimum credit threshold for a full award to 15 credits and requiring students to take at least 7.5 credits to qualify for any funds. Students taking fewer than 7.5 credits would not be eligible for any Pell money.

A separate bill also includes a proposal to lower the maximum Pell award to $5,710.

As Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn told the Boston Globe, if these changes are enacted, they could have devastating effects on community colleges. At NECC, two-thirds of students attend part-time, and the most common number of credits taken in a semester is six. “Students tend to be older, not just out of high school, and they’re balancing jobs and families with going to school,” he said.

President Glenn has shared his thoughts with national publications Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He also published commentary in Community College Daily and the CommonWealth Beacon.

Glenn and college leaders from across the country are now calling on Senators to reject the changes to Pell as they debate the bill.

If any of the proposed changes are enacted, they would not impact awards for the 2025-2026 academic year. NECC students with questions about current financial aid awards can find more information here.