Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Education, today announced that the omnibus appropriations bill restores eligibility for year-round Pell Grants. This measure would provide an estimated 20,000 students at Missouri colleges and universities who take classes year-round an additional $1,650 per year, on average, to help pay for college.

“Restoring year-round Pell Grants is a bipartisan, common-sense approach to making college more affordable for hardworking students in Missouri and across the nation,” Blunt said. “By allowing full and part-time students to receive an additional Pell Grant during the year, often for a summer session, we’re helping them stay on track for graduation, enter or re-enter the workforce sooner, and graduate with less debt.”

Currently, many full-time students and some part-time students exhaust their full benefit after two semesters. Restoring year-round Pell will help an estimated one million students stay enrolled in classes throughout the year, which will lower their tuition costs and accelerate completion of their degree program.

Blunt, a former history teacher and president of Southwest Baptist University, has led efforts in Congress to restore year-round Pell Grants. As chairman of the Labor/HHS subcommittee, Blunt first secured this year-round Pell provision in the bipartisan, committee-passed FY 2017 appropriations bill, paving the way for its inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Blunt also visited colleges and universities across Missouri where he met with educators, students, and faculty as a part of his Pell Grant Tour.

Blunt continued, “I’ve been incredibly encouraged by the support we’ve received in our effort to help more people get the education they need to get ahead. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this measure when it comes before the Senate.”

The omnibus appropriations bill, which funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, was introduced today and is expected to be considered by the Senate later this week.