The Federal Pell Grant Program — the flagship federal financial aid program that aids six to seven million students annually — is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to experience a $5.4 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2026, one that could grow by $11.5 billion in fiscal year 2027. This would be the program’s first shortfall in more than 10 years. This shortfall will not affect the next academic year, as those Pell Grant levels have already been set, but will start during the 2027-28 academic year. At UC Berkeley, 32% of undergraduates were Pell Grant recipients in the 2024-25 academic year, with an average award of $6,731. Across the UC system, 35.7% of students receive Pell Grants, with 41.3% of California resident students receiving the grants. Read more through the link in bio. ✍️: Miles Kofman 📸: Kayla Brown . . . #ucberkeley #dailycal #berkeley #PellGrant