Why It Matters
- Over 6 million students rely on the Pell Grant each year.
- In Arizona, 1 in 3 undergraduates depend on Pell.
- Cuts to Pell funding hurt entire communities, not just individuals.
- Protecting Pell is a fight for educational equity and economic opportunity.
I Am Pell Day June 23, 2025
What is I Am Pell Day?
"I Am Pell Day" is a nationwide day of action to uplift the voices of students who have benefited from the Pell Grant and to demand that Congress members protect and expand this vital support for higher education.
On this day, students, alumni, educators, and community allies will come together online and in their communities to share their stories, amplify the impact of the Pell Grant, and call on lawmakers to invest in student success, not cut it.
Whether you're a Pell recipient, a first-generation college student, or someone who believes education should be accessible to all, I Am Pell Day is your moment to stand up, speak out, and take action.
How You Can Participate:
Whether you're a student, graduate, parent, educator, or ally; you have a role in this movement:
"I Am Pell Day" is a nationwide day of action to uplift the voices of students who have benefited from the Pell Grant and to demand that Congress members protect and expand this vital support for higher education.
On this day, students, alumni, educators, and community allies will come together online and in their communities to share their stories, amplify the impact of the Pell Grant, and call on lawmakers to invest in student success, not cut it.
Whether you're a Pell recipient, a first-generation college student, or someone who believes education should be accessible to all, I Am Pell Day is your moment to stand up, speak out, and take action.
How You Can Participate:
Whether you're a student, graduate, parent, educator, or ally; you have a role in this movement:
- Wear #BlueForPell to show your support and solidarity on I Am Pell Day
- Post on social media using hashtags #IAmPell and #BlueForPell; tell your story or why Pell matters to you; tag @azstudents
- Record a 30-60 sec video or Tik Tok about how Pell has impacted you, your students, or your community
- Post on social media using hashtags #IAmPell and #BlueForPell; tag @azstudents
- Sign onto our letter to Congress urging them to protect and expand the Pell Grant
- Get your friends, family, and peers to sign on and spread the word
- Post facts or quotes about the impact of Pell Grants in your community
- Submit your Pell Story
I Am Pell Teach-Ins
Join ASA for our virtual Statewide I Am Pell Teach-Ins
Join the Arizona Students' Association for a series of regional teach-ins this June focused on the fight to protect and expand the Pell Grant; the cornerstone of college access for low-income students across the country.
What You'll Learn:
This event will take place on different days in the month of June for different ASA regions. Dates & Times Below.
Please sign up for the teach-in in your ASA region as follow-up organizing and actions will be coordinated locally.
Meeting link will be sent after you RSVP. Yuma will be our final teach-in this month on June 23rd to celebrate I Am Pell Day.
What You'll Learn:
- What the Pell Grant is and why it matters.
How the current federal administration is threatening to dismantle or restrict it.
What this means for students in Arizona, especially BIPOC, first-gen and working-class students.
How we can organize, fight back, and win funding for equitable access to higher education.
This event will take place on different days in the month of June for different ASA regions. Dates & Times Below.
Please sign up for the teach-in in your ASA region as follow-up organizing and actions will be coordinated locally.
Meeting link will be sent after you RSVP. Yuma will be our final teach-in this month on June 23rd to celebrate I Am Pell Day.
I Am Pell Campaign
An ASA campaign raising awareness about the vital role of the Pell Grant in making higher education accessible while mobilizing students to defend it from proposed federal cuts.
Through this campaign, ASA is:
Through this campaign, ASA is:
- Educating students about the Pell Grant program, the proposed changes in Congress, and what’s at stake for their futures.
- Collecting powerful student stories from across Arizona to share directly with lawmakers showing the real human impact behind the numbers.
- Elevating the lived experience of first-generation, low-income, and students of color, who disproportionately rely on Pell to access and complete college.
- Organizing student voices to demand accountability and advocate for protection of need based federal financial aid.