After weeks of contentious debate, House and Senate negotiators Wednesday announced an agreement on a $789 billion economic stimulus package that, sources say, should include a sizable increase for the Pell Grant program.

While details still were being finalized at press time, the agreement was expected to provide K-12 and higher education with at least $80 billion — the amount contained in a Senate-passed stimulus bill earlier this week. The House of Representatives had sought a larger piece of the pie for education, and there were signs that negotiators still were working to go beyond the Senate number by adding funds for school facilities.

“Like any negotiation, this process involved give and take,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who, with other lawmakers, praised the agreement even as many details remained unclear. In the end, however, the package will create jobs and help individuals improve their skills. “We need to invest in America’s future,” he said.

Student groups said the critical victory occurred Tuesday when a handful of moderate Republicans agreed to keep a Pell Grant increase in the Senate version of the stimulus.

Up until that point, there was talk that moderate Republicans and Democrats might seek removal of that funding, said Rich Williams, higher education associate at U.S. PIRG, a public interest research organization.

“The major victory was keeping Pell in the Senate package,” Williams told Diverse. The Senate approved an additional $13.9 billion for Pell to address a program shortfall and raise the maximum grant by up to $400 by 2010.

The House-passed bill proposed a $500 increase. “We would prefer $500 to $400,” said Angela Peoples, legislative director for the United States Student Association.

Still, while higher education leaders were awaiting the bill’s final numbers, both advocates said the Pell increase was expected to survive in some form given its priority in both chambers. “It was so hard fought. Some increase will be there,” Peoples added.