Helping College Students Cross the Finish Line Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish a financial assistance program that awards funds to at least 100 of the IHE's undergraduate or vocational students each academic year who:
Caps the amount of such award. Prohibits a student from receiving an award for more than two semesters or the equivalent of two semesters.
Requires the IHEs to provide each student who receives an award that does not fully cover the amount due on the student's outstanding tuition with information on the financial assistance available from any other source.
Directs the Secretary to create, and each student that receives an award to complete, an online financial literacy survey that includes matters relating to budgeting and saving, student loan debt, and career planning.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5560 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5560
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program
for undergraduate students with financial need to assist such students
in completing degrees at institutions of higher education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 18, 2014
Mr. Braley of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program
for undergraduate students with financial need to assist such students
in completing degrees at institutions of higher education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helping College Students Cross the
Finish Line Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE AWARDS TO UNDERGRADUATE AND
VOCATIONAL STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED TO ASSIST IN
COMPLETION OF DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS.
Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070 et seq.) is amended by inserting after subpart 7 the following new
subpart:
``Subpart 8--Grants to Institutions To Provide Awards to Undergraduate
and Vocational Students With Financial Need To Assist in Completion of
Degree and Certificate Programs
``SEC. 420. GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE AWARDS TO UNDERGRADUATE
AND VOCATIONAL STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED TO ASSIST IN
COMPLETION OF DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS.
``(a) Grants for Establishment of Financial Assistance Program.--
The Secretary shall award grants to institutions of higher education to
establish programs of financial assistance for students in accordance
with this section.
``(b) Financial Assistance Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--An institution of higher education
receiving a grant under subsection (a) shall establish a
financial assistance program to award funds to not less than
100 eligible students per academic year in accordance with this
subsection.
``(2) Student eligibility.--A student shall be eligible for
an award under a financial assistance program established by an
institution of higher education in accordance with this
subsection if--
``(A) such student is enrolled as an undergraduate
or vocational student at such institution on a not less
than half-time basis;
``(B) such student is academically able to complete
the degree or certificate program for which such
student is enrolled within an academic year;
``(C) such student is in good academic standing at
such institution (as determined by such institution) at
the time of the distribution of the award;
``(D) in the case of a student who previously
received an award under this section, such student
maintained good academic standing during the academic
period for which the student received such previous
award under this section;
``(E) such student has an outstanding tuition
payment due to such institution and is unable to fully
pay the amount due; and
``(F) the institution determines that without
financial assistance, such student will discontinue the
degree or certificate program for which such student is
enrolled due to an inability to pay tuition.
``(3) Grant amount.--The amount of an award to a student
under a financial assistance program established by an
institution of higher education in accordance with this
subsection for a semester or equivalent shall be the lesser
of--
``(A) $1,000; or
``(B) the amount of tuition such institution
determines the student is unable to pay for such
semester or equivalent.
``(4) Limitation on number of grants.--A student may only
receive an award under a financial assistance program
established by an institution of higher education in accordance
with this subsection for a total of two semesters or the
equivalent of two semesters.
``(5) Information on other financial assistance.--
``(A) Information required.--Each institution of
higher education receiving a grant under subsection (a)
shall provide information to each covered student
attending such institution on financial assistance
available from any source other than this section.
``(B) Covered student defined.--In this paragraph,
the term `covered student' means a student receiving an
award under a financial assistance program established
by an institution of higher education in accordance
with this subsection in an amount that does not fully
pay an outstanding tuition payment due to such
institution.
``(c) Financial Literacy Survey.--The Secretary shall create, and
each student receiving an award under a financial assistance program
established by an institution of higher education in accordance with
subsection (b) shall complete, an online survey concerning financial
literacy. Such survey shall include matters relating to budgeting and
saving, student loan debt, and career planning.
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) Institutions of higher education.--Each institution
of higher education receiving a grant under subsection (a)
shall annually submit to the Secretary a report containing, for
the academic year preceding the date of the submission of such
report--
``(A) the number of students enrolled at such
institution that received an award under a financial
assistance program established by such institution in
accordance with subsection (b);
``(B) the number of such students who completed the
degree or certificate program in which such students
were enrolled during such academic year;
``(C) the number of such students who, following
completion of the degree or certificate program in
which such students were enrolled, subsequently
enrolled in a degree or certificate program at a higher
level;
``(D) the number of such students who, following
completion of the degree or certificate program in
which such students were enrolled, subsequently
obtained full-time employment and the average salary
for such students; and
``(E) any other information that the Secretary
considers necessary.
``(2) Secretary.--The Secretary shall annually submit to
Congress a report on the implementation of this section. Such
report shall include--
``(A) the aggregate data submitted by all
institutions of higher education in accordance with
paragraph (1);
``(B) an analysis of the grant program under this
section and any suggestions for improving such program;
and
``(C) any other information that the Secretary
considers necessary.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2015 through 2020.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line