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The resumption of year-round Pell Grants, scheduled for July, could help offset the enrollment declines many community colleges are experiencing, according to Moody's Investors Service. The restored grant eligibility, often called Summer Pell, allows students to receive up to 150 percent of a typical Pell award amount during the course of a year.
Nationwide, enrollments at community colleges have been slumping for several years, due in part to the recovering economy. When the U.S. Congress in 2011 discontinued the availability of year-round Pell Grants -- with the Obama administration's backing -- the average grant amount per recipient fell by 11 percent, Moody's said. The return of year-round grants will make it more affordable for community college students to enroll throughout the year, which Moody's said would accelerate degree completion and bolster enrollment.
"Although we do not anticipate substantial enrollment increases from the Pell expansion," said Moody's, "the incremental additional credits that summer Pell Grant student will take will help to offset some of the countercyclical enrollment declines due to improving employment opportunities and economic conditions in most states."
