mr. chairman , i agree with the gentleman from florida ( mr. keller )  that the pell grant program plays an essential role in helping disadvantaged students pursue a college education .  and for more than 30 years , the pell grant program has served as the foundation of federal need-based student aid .  i further applaud my colleague and a member of our committee from florida ( mr. keller )  for his strong leadership in supporting the pell grant program , and as chairman of the pell grant caucus , and for his sharing with us his personal experiences as a former pell grant recipient .  the gentleman is correct to point out that the republican congress has provided unprecedented support for pell grants .  funding for pell grants doubled in the last 10 years , and today we are proposing to add more than $ 1 billion in additional funding .  the number of students receiving pell grants has risen significantly , and today about 5.3 million students are attending college with the help of a pell grant .  so i want to thank my colleague from ohio ( mr. regula )  , the dean of our delegation , for his leadership as chairman of the labor-hhs appropriations subcommittee .  he has been a strong advocate on behalf of education programs , and it has been a privilege to work with him in support of our priorities .  given the constraints that the gentleman from ohio ( mr. regula )  is working with , i fully understand .  i agree with my colleague from florida ( mr. keller )  that we should do all we can to increase the maximum award .  