College Completion and Success Act
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the amount of federal student assistance provided to an institution of higher education (IHE) if a student withdraws from the IHE. Under current law, an IHE receives all of a student's financial assistance after the student completes 60% of the period of enrollment (e.g., semester). This bill requires a student to complete 100% of the period of enrollment before an IHE receives all of the student's financial assistance.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4336 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4336
To amend the institutional refunds provision of the Higher Education
Act of 1965.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 9, 2017
Mr. Lewis of Minnesota (for himself, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Garrett, and Mr.
Smucker) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the institutional refunds provision of the Higher Education
Act of 1965.
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 ``College Completion and Success
Act''.
SEC. 2. INSTITUTIONAL REFUNDS.
Section 484B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091b)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``If a recipient'' and
inserting the following:
``(A) Consequence of withdrawal.--If a recipient'';
and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Special rule.--For purposes of subparagraph
(A), a student--
``(i) who is enrolled in a program offered
in modules is not considered withdrawn if the
change in the student's attendance constitutes
a change in enrollment status within the
payment period rather than a discontinuance of
attendance within the payment period; and
``(ii) is considered withdrawn if the
student follows the institution's official
withdrawal procedures or leaves without
notifying the institution and has not returned
before the end of the payment period.'';
(B) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking clauses (i)
and (ii) and inserting the following:
``(i) 0 percent, if the day the student
withdrew occurs when the student has completed
(as determined in accordance with subsection
(d)) 0 to 24 percent of the payment period or
period of enrollment;
``(ii) 25 percent, if the day the student
withdrew occurs when the student has completed
(as determined in accordance with subsection
(d)) 25 to 49 percent of the payment period or
period of enrollment;
``(iii) 50 percent, if the day the student
withdrew occurs when the student has completed
(as determined in accordance with subsection
(d)) 50 to 74 percent of the payment period or
period of enrollment; or
``(iv) 75 percent, if the day the student
withdrew occurs when the student has completed
(as determined in accordance with subsection
(d)) 75 to 99 percent of the payment period or
period of enrollment.''; and
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``Secretary), the institution of higher
education shall contact the borrower'' and
inserting ``Secretary), the institution of
higher education shall have discretion to
determine whether all or a portion of the late
or post-withdrawal disbursement should be made,
under a publicized institutional policy. If the
institution of higher education determines that
a disbursement should be made, the institution
shall contact the borrower''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B) by striking
``institution or the student, or both, as may
be required under paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (b), to the programs under this
title in the order specified in'' and inserting
``institution, as may be required under
paragraph (1) of subsection (b), to the
programs under this title in accordance with'';
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
``(b) Return of Title IV Program Funds.--
``(1) Responsibility of the institution.--The institution
shall return not later than 60 days from the determination of
withdrawal, in accordance with paragraph (3), the amount of
grant and loan assistance awarded under this title that has not
been earned by the student, as calculated under subsection
(a)(3)(C).
``(2) Responsibility of the student.--
``(A) In general.--The student is not responsible
to return assistance that has not been earned; however,
the institution may require the student to pay to the
institution up to 10 percent of the amount owed by the
institution in paragraph (1).
``(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
section shall be construed to prevent an institution
from enforcing the published institutional refund
policies of such institution.
``(3) Order of return of title iv funds.--
``(A) In general.--Excess funds returned by the
institution in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be
credited to awards under subparts 1 and 3 of part A for
the payment period or period of enrollment for which a
return of funds is required.
``(B) Remaining excesses.--If excess funds remain
after repaying all outstanding grant amounts, the
remaining excess shall be credited in the following
order:
``(i) To outstanding balances on loans made
under this title to the student or on behalf of
the student for the payment period or period of
enrollment for which a return of funds is
required.
``(ii) To other assistance awarded under
this title for which a return of funds is
required.'';
(3) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
``(c) Withdrawal Date.--
``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `day the
student withdrew'--
``(A) for institutions not required to take
attendance, is the date as determined by the
institution that--
``(i) the student began the withdrawal
process prescribed and publicized by the
institution, or a later date if the student
continued attendance despite beginning the
withdrawal process, but did not then complete
the payment period; or
``(ii) in the case of a student who does
not begin the withdrawal process, the date that
is the mid-point of the payment period for
which assistance under this title was disbursed
or another date documented by the institution;
or
``(B) for institutions required to take attendance,
is determined by the institution from such attendance
records.
``(2) Special rule.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the
institution determines that a student did not begin the
withdrawal process, due to illness, accident, grievous personal
loss, or other such circumstances beyond the student's control,
the institution may determine the appropriate withdrawal date
under its own defined policies.
``(3) Attendance.--An institution is required to take
attendance if an institution's accrediting agency or State
licensing agency has a requirement that the institution take
attendance for all students in an academic program throughout
the entire payment period.''; and
(4) by striking subsections (d) and (e).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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