Matt Diemer weighs in on the expansion of Pell grant support in The GW Hatchet 

Earlier this month, leaders at The George Washington University announced a fundraising initiative to increase the financial aid budget to make tuition more affordable for Pell-eligible students. Although the campaign can help expand GW’s financial access for Pell-grant recipients, School of Education professor Matt Diemer says that when it comes to retention, more resources will be needed to support Pell students while they're in school. 

“Pell grants are great, and nobody’s going to argue against them, but it’s not a silver bullet,” Diemer told The GW Hatchet. “Only increasing Pell grant support seems like it’s one step in the right direction, but it also needs to be accompanied with other supports – recognizing the culture of the campus, having student supporting offices, other kinds of things that are necessary to help students be successful.”