Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Christopher J. Dodd, both U.S. senators, have announced that they are dropping out of the race to be the Democratic nominee for president following disappointing showings yesterday in Iowa.

In the course of his campaign, Senator Biden of Delaware had proposed increasing the maximum Pell Grant to $6,300 and forgiving the student loans of aspiring teachers who commit to staying in that profession. His education plan had also called for the federal government to use tax credits to make sure all Americans could afford at least two years of college. He received the support of just 1 percent of the delegates in the Iowa caucuses.

Senator Dodd of Connecticut had said Americans should be able to attend college for two years at no cost and had pledged to improve federal education benefits to military veterans. His share of support from the Iowa caucus delegates was negligible.

Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate Mike Gravel today issued a statement saying reports of the demise of his campaign have been greatly exaggerated. The MSNBC pundit Keith Olbermann had earlier reported that Mr. Gravel, who failed to win the support of a single caucus delegate, had dropped out. The statement issued by Mr. Gravel’s office said he “has not dissolved his campaign, and has no intentions of doing so.”