Pell to Grad Act
This bill raises from 12 to 16 the total number of semesters during which a student may receive a Pell Grant. It also allows income-eligible graduate students who received Pell Grants during their undergraduate education to utilize their remaining Pell Grant eligibility toward their first graduate degree, subject to this 16-semester duration limit. Currently, Pell Grants are available only to undergraduate students, subject to the 12-semester duration limit.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2627 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2627
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the period of
eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 16, 2021
Mrs. Lawrence (for herself, Mr. Gomez, and Ms. Dean) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the period of
eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes.
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 ``Pell to Grad Act''.
SEC. 2. PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.
Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or as a
postbaccalaureate student in accordance with subsection
(c)(1),'' after ``as an undergraduate,''; and
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) The period during which a student may receive Federal
Pell Grants shall be the period required for the completion of
the first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study being
pursued by that student at the institution at which the student
is in attendance except that--
``(A) any period during which the student is
enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study as
defined in paragraph (2) shall not be counted for the
purpose of this paragraph; and
``(B) the period during which a student may receive
Federal Pell Grants shall also include the period
required for the completion of the first
postbaccalaureate course of study at an eligible
institution that meets the definition of institution of
higher education in section 101, in a case in which--
``(i) the student received a Federal Pell
Grant during the period required for the
completion of the student's first undergraduate
baccalaureate course of study for at least 1
but fewer than 16 semesters, or the equivalent
of at least 1 but fewer than 16 semesters, as
determined under paragraph (5);
``(ii) the student would otherwise be
eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, but for the
completion of such baccalaureate course of
study; and
``(iii) the period during which the student
receives Federal Pell Grants does not exceed
the student's duration limits under paragraph
(5).''; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``12'' each place
it appears and inserting ``16''.
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO LAW AS MODIFIED BY THE CONSOLIDATED
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021.
(a) In General.--Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1070a), as amended by section 703 of division FF the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), is further
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(8)(A), by inserting ``or as a
postbaccalaureate student in accordance with subsection
(d)(1),'' after ``as an undergraduate,'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) The period during which a student may receive Federal
Pell Grants shall be the period required for the completion of
the first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study being
pursued by that student at the institution at which the student
is in attendance except that--
``(A) any period during which the student is
enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study, as
described in paragraph (2), shall not be counted for
the purpose of this paragraph; and
``(B) the period during which a student may receive
Federal Pell Grants shall also include the period
required for the completion of the first
postbaccalaureate course of study at an eligible
institution that is an institution of higher education
as defined in section 101, in a case in which--
``(i) the student received a Federal Pell
Grant during the period required for the
completion of the student's first undergraduate
baccalaureate course of study for at least 1
but fewer than 16 semesters, or the equivalent
of at least 1 but fewer than 16 semesters, as
determined under paragraph (5);
``(ii) the student would otherwise be
eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, but for the
completion of such baccalaureate course of
study; and
``(iii) the period during which the student
receives Federal Pell Grants does not exceed
the student's duration limits under paragraph
(5).''; and
(B) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ``12'' each
place it appears and inserting ``16''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
take effect as if included in the enactment of division FF of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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