Biden's spending bill would increase student aid for low-income students: But is it enough to keep up with the cost of college?

WASHINGTON – Dixie Samaniego, a first-generation college student at California State Fullerton, says she would not be in her third year studying political science were it not for receiving a Pell Grant.

“When I was applying, I didn't know if I was actually going to go to school because I was afraid that my parents would be expected to contribute to my education,” she said.

Samaniego was one of the nearly seven million students last year who received a Pell Grant, aid designed to help low-income students pay for school. The program is crucial especially for people of color: 58% of all African American college students receive Pell Grants, according to the White House. 

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