President Obama has more than doubled funding for Pell Grants and made them a campaign issue this year. But no data exist showing exactly how many Pell Grant recipients ever graduate from college.
What evidence there is suggests less than half do.
Pell Grants are subsidies the federal government gives to college students of primarily low-income families, although middle-class families are also eligible.
Obama has criticized the budget plan of Mitt Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, which reduces funding for Pell Grants.
In turn, Romney has backed away some from Ryan’s plan, saying he’d let Pell Grants grow at the rate of inflation.