Double the Pell Grant
Loyola students advocate to increase funds for the federal program that helps low- and middle-income students afford college
In the United States today, nearly 7 million students rely on Pell Grants to help them access and afford higher education—including students at Loyola University Chicago. With the rising cost of tuition and other college expenses, the buying power of these grants has sharply declined over the last few decades, which has affected college opportunities and outcomes for the nation’s lower income students.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Show your support for #DoublePell by reaching out to your members of congress!
- Are you a Pell Grant recipient? Print three copies of this letter and mail one to each of your Senators and the third to your Representative. You will fill in the information in red with your personal information.
- Not a Pell Grant recipient? That’s OK! We need your support too. Print three copies of this letter and mail one to each of your Senators and the third to your Representative. You will fill in the information in red with your personal information.
Not sure who your members of congress are? Click here and enter your home city and state.
In video testimonials below, Loyola students share how Pell Grants have impacted their life and offer their support for the campaign. Loyola’s own Sister Jean also offers her support of #DoublePell in a video below.
AMOGE WAMKPAH ’22
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas
“Pell grant programs have helped [my siblings and me] attend school and achieve our dreams.”
CATHARINA BAETEN ’24
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin
“Receiving the Pell Grant has enabled me to find a silver lining in my education, allowing me the chance to study and pursue my dreams with less of a financial weight on my shoulders and the shoulders of my family.”
CHRIS RODRIGUEZ ’23
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Software Engineering
Hometown: Bloomington, Minnesota
“I am a first generation student, so I had little to no idea or knowledge of how I could manage paying for my education.”
CHRISTOPHER HERNANDEZ ’23
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Information Technology
Hometown: Arnold, Maryland
“Knowing that I have a Pell Grant ensures that [my family and I] are safe and one step closer to achieving my goal: graduating and getting my name on a degree.”
JESUS PONPA ’22
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
“Aid like Pell allows me to be a Loyolan, an institution that pushes me toward social justice and chasing my dream to be a doctor so I can provide for my family and for the greater community.”
SAM WILLKOMM ’22
School: Quinlan School of Business
Major: Accounting and Information Systems
Hometown: Sturtevant, Wisconsin
“Not only has the Pell Grant made my dreams of going to Loyola come true, it has allowed me to focus on my education rather than any financial instability.”
TY LIST ’23
School: School of Environmental Sustainability
Major: Environmental Science
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
“Being the first one in my family to go to college, I was uncertain how I was going to fully fund my college education.”
ELANI WILLIAMS ’23
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Harvey, Illinois
“Doubling the Pell Grant will alleviate so much stress from students like me.”
FATIMA SHARIFF ’22
School: Quinlan School of Business
Major: Information Systems
Hometown: Wheaton, Illinois