Rhode Island lawmakers are pushing back against the Republican-led proposal to rename Workforce Pell Grants as “Trump Grants” as the government shut down on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
The proposal was inside of a Republican-led Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriation bill, which has since been stalled in the Senate, leading in part to the government shutdown. on Oct. 1.
In a press release on Sept. 1, the House appropriations committee said the renaming would “reflect [President Donald Trump’s] commitment to growing the American workforce and expanding opportunities for American workers.”
Workforce Pell Grants are a new addition to the Pell Grant program. They appeared as part of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025. Starting July 1, 2026, students must meet the requirements of a federal Pell Grant and also be accepted to or enrolled in eligible career training programs in “high-skill, high-wage…in-demand industry sectors or occupations” to be eligible for a Workforce Pell Grant.
Rhode Island congressmen Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner released a letter on Sept. 23 opposing the name change, saying the grants should remain part of the legacy of their namesake, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. They claim the bill “attempts to rewrite and erase history” by renaming the grant.
Pell was the longest-serving senator from the state, serving for 36 years. He was passionate about eliminating financial barriers to higher education, the letter said, which is why he championed the creation of the grants.
“[Pell’s] legacy lives on in the millions of students, many of them the first in their families to attend college, whose lives have been shaped by the opportunity that Pell Grants provide,” the letter said. “Whenever Senator Pell was asked about his greatest achievement, he would always respond without hesitation: ‘Pell Grants.’”
In 2024, 34% of undergraduate students in the U.S. received a Pell Grant according to the Education Data Initiative. 88% of Pell Grant funds go to public universities like the University of Connecticut. 77,065 Connecticut undergraduates received the grant, with an average of $4,466 per recipient, according to the initiative.
“Preserving Senator Pell’s name on the program is not just about honoring the past, it is about protecting a future where every student, regardless of background, has the chance to dream big and achieve more,” the letter said.
As of now, the name change will not happen, as the bill has stalled in the Senate along with a number of other congressional spending bills. The government shut down at midnight on Wednesday because the Senate could not pass spending bills to keep federal agencies running.
Appropriations bills must originate in the House according to Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution. When the bill is approved by the House, it makes its way to the Senate. Both houses can pass a bill with a simple majority — 51%. The bill must pass with the same exact language in both houses before it makes its way to the president’s desk.
The Senate adjourned Wednesday with no plan to reopen the government. Senators return on Friday to cast another vote on legislation to reopen the government for seven weeks.