The Shortfalls of the American Financial Aid System: Pell Grants
The Pell Grant, originally known as the Basic Education Opportunity Act, was created in 1972 to support the postsecondary educational needs of the country’s least advantaged students. The original maximum amount for Pell Grant recipients was $452. In 1980, the program was renamed the Pell Grant in honor of Senator Claiborne Pell and his initiatives in creating the program.