Mark A. Brown, president of Tuskegee University, told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that Pell Grants and federal loan programs are essential to his campus and to the broader region's workforce.

"These programs are not luxuries, but necessities for our students," Brown said, describing how federal aid supports students in veterinary medicine, engineering and other critical fields and citing university figures for the 2024–25 academic year.

Brown told senators that Tuskegee processed about $22,000,000 in federal loans in the referenced academic year, including roughly $5,000,000 in Graduate PLUS loans, $10,000,000 in Parent PLUS loans and about $5,300,000 in subsidized loans. He said Pell Grants now cover about $7,395 annually for eligible students and that Pell's purchasing power has declined: at an average four‑year public college Pell covered roughly 31% of costs compared with 79% in 1975, as Brown noted.

Brown also described Tuskegee's local economic footprint: citing a 2024 report, he said the university generates approximately $237,100,000 in total economic impact for Alabama and supports more than 2,064 jobs.

Why it matters: Brown warned that cutting Pell or capping student loans without clear alternatives would reduce college access for high‑need students and could impede supply of professionals in critical fields. He urged lawmakers to preserve need‑based funding and to align federal assistance with evidence‑based gainful‑employment outcomes.

Discussion vs. decision: The hearing recorded testimony and questions; senators pressed for specifics on how proposed federal changes would affect HBCU students and institutional finances. No committee action or votes were taken.