Lee Roberts is tasked with leading UNC Chapel Hill in an era when the dynamics of higher education are changing fast and the future of key funding sources remains unclear.
The Pell Grant is facing a projected $2.7 billion budget shortfall, its first in over a decade. With the Education Department in turmoil and Trump slashing spending, access advocates worry cuts may be unavoidable. Amid all the chaos and upheaval for federal higher education policy, the Pell Grant program is running out of money. In January, the Congressional Budget Office projected a $2.7 billion budget shortfall for the program next fiscal year, its first shortfall in over a decade. By fiscal year 2026–27, the CBO projects that the program will be short $10 billion unless Congress puts more money toward the grants.
