Pell Plus Act of 2023
This bill establishes the Pell Plus program to award an additional Federal Pell Grant (i.e., a Federal Pell Plus Grant), which shall be matched by the participating institution of enrollment, to eligible students.
A student is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Plus Grant if the student (1) is enrolled in their first undergraduate course of study at a Pell Plus institution, (2) is maintaining progress toward completion of their course of study in no more than four academic years, and (3) has completed at least four semesters (or the equivalent) of such course of study.
Further, the bill outlines the requirements for an institution to participate as a Pell Plus institution, including that the institution must notify students whether they are maintaining progress toward completion of their course of study.
The bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award a Federal Pell Plus Grant to an eligible student in an amount equal to the student's Federal Pell Grant award. If the student's combined Federal Pell Grant and Federal Pell Plus Grant exceed the cost of attendance, then ED must reduce the amount of the student's Federal Pell Plus Grant.
The bill specifies that these Federal Pell Plus Grants must count toward current duration limits.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5489 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5489
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to create the Pell Plus
program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2023
Mr. Joyce of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Peters, and Mr.
Fitzpatrick) 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 create the Pell Plus
program.
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 Plus Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. PELL PLUS PROGRAM.
Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a),
as amended by section 703 of the FAFSA Simplification Act (title VII of
division FF of Public Law 116-260), is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(k) Pell Plus Program.--
``(1) Program established.--
``(A) In general.--Beginning with award year 2025-
2026, for each award year for which a student receives
a Federal Pell Grant and meets the requirements of
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall award such student
an additional Federal Pell Grant, referred to as a
`Federal Pell Plus Grant', in an amount equal to the
amount of the student's Federal Pell Grant award
determined under this section for such award year,
except as provided in subparagraph (B).
``(B) Cost of attendance reductions.--In any case
in which a student is awarded a Federal Pell Grant
under this section and a Federal Pell Plus grant under
this subsection, the combined total of such Federal
Pell Grant, such Federal Pell Plus Grant, and the
amount provided by a Pell Plus institution in
accordance with paragraph (4)(B)(i)(II)(aa) shall not
exceed the cost of attendance (as defined in section
472) at the institution at which that student is in
attendance. In the case that such combined total would
exceed such cost of attendance, the Secretary shall
reduce the amount of the Federal Pell Plus grant
awarded to the student, taking into consideration the
corresponding reduction in the amount provided by a
Pell Plus institution in accordance with paragraph
(4)(B)(i)(II)(aa) as a result of the reduced Federal
Pell Plus grant amount, until the combined total of
such reduced Federal Pell Plus Grant, such reduced
amount provided by a Pell Plus institution in
accordance with paragraph (4)(B)(i)(II)(aa), and the
Federal Pell Grant award of the student does not exceed
such cost of attendance.
``(2) Student Eligibility.--A student meets the requirements of
this paragraph, if the student--
``(A) during the award year during which the student
receives a Federal Pell Plus Grant under paragraph (1)--
``(i) is enrolled--
``(I) in the student's first undergraduate
baccalaureate course of study; and
``(II) at a Pell Plus institution; and
``(ii) is maintaining progress toward completion of
such course of study in not more than a total of 4
academic years; and
``(B) has completed at least 4 semesters, or the
equivalent, of such course of study.
``(3) Duration Limits.--The period during which a student receives
a Federal Pell Plus Grant under paragraph (1) shall be included in
calculating the duration limits with respect to such student under
subsection (d)(5), and to the extent that such period was a fraction of
a semester or the equivalent, only that same fraction of such semester
or equivalent shall count towards such duration limits.
``(4) Pell Plus Institutional Eligibility.--For purposes of this
subsection, a Pell Plus institution is an eligible institution for
purposes of this subpart that--
``(A) notifies the Secretary that the institution desires
to participate in the program under this subsection;
``(B) agrees to provide, to each student receiving a
Federal Pell Plus Grant under paragraph (1)--
``(i) for each award year for which the student
receives such Federal Pell Plus Grant--
``(I) a notification that shall include--
``(aa) whether the student is
maintaining the progress toward
completion required under paragraph
(2)(A)(ii);
``(bb) in a case in which the
student is not maintaining such
progress toward completion, a list of
available student support services and
additional resources to assist the
student in completing the course of
study for which the student is
receiving the Federal Pell Plus Grant
in not more than a total of 4 academic
years; and
``(cc) the amount of funds the
student is receiving under the Federal
Pell Plus Grant and from the
institution under subclause (II)(aa);
and
``(II) an amount of funds--
``(aa) equal to the amount of such
Federal Pell Plus Grant received by the
student for such award year; and
``(bb) using the non-Federal
resources of the institution, such as--
``(AA) an institutional
grant or scholarship;
``(BB) through a tuition or
fee waiver; or
``(CC) foundation or other
charitable organization funds;
and
``(ii) in the case of a student who, as of the
beginning of the third academic year of the course of
study for which the student is receiving the Federal
Pell Plus Grant, is not maintaining the progress toward
completion required under paragraph (2)(A)(ii), a
warning during such third academic year that the
student will not be eligible for a Federal Pell Plus
Grant under paragraph (1) for the fourth academic year
of such course of study unless the student
demonstrates, by not later than the end of such third
academic year, progress toward completing such course
of study by the end of the fourth academic year of such
course of study; and
``(C) in the case of an institution that provides
institutional grant or scholarship aid to a student for the
academic year preceding the academic year for which the student
receives a Federal Pell Plus Grant under paragraph (1), agrees
to provide the amount of such institutional grant or
scholarship aid for any academic year for which the student
receives such Federal Pell Plus Grant that the institution
would have provided to such student in the absence of such
Federal Pell Plus Grant, except that such amount of aid may be
reduced to ensure that the combined amount of such aid, and the
Federal Pell Plus Grant, the amount under subparagraph
(B)(i)(II)(aa), and the Federal Pell Grant award provided to
the student does not exceed the cost of attendance (as defined
in section 472) at such institution for such academic year; and
``(D) the Secretary determines meets the requirements of
this paragraph.''.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES.
(a) Amendment.--Section 485(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (U); and
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (V)
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(W) in the case of an institution that is a Pell
Plus institution under section 401(k), any applicable
information with respect to the institution's
participation in the Federal Pell Plus Grant program
under such subsection.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
take effect with respect to award year 2025-2026 and each succeeding
award year.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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