A study of Kansas community colleges shows the number of students receiving federal financial aid jumped dramatically as the nation struggled to recover from the recession.

Called “Powered By Pell: A Grassroots Perspective,” the study focuses on the flow of federal student aid across 17 of the state’s 19 community colleges. It found that from fall 2008 to fall 2010, the number of Pell Grants spiked by 75 percent, with 8,862 new grant awards. Simultaneously, Pell Grant dollars allocated to students at the Kansas institutions soared from approximately $20.5 million to about $40.4 million. The only two community colleges not to participate are in Pratt and Kansas City, Kan.

The study found nearly half of the college credits earned by Kansas community college students are funded, at least in part, by Pell Grants.