To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the funds available for the provision of student financial assistance, and for other purposes.

Summary: Higher Education Assistance Improvement Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to increase funds available for the provision of student financial assistance.Increases the maximum individual Pell grant amount to: (1) $7,500 for academic year 2002-2003; and (2) $7,900 for academic year 2003-2004.Increases amounts authorized to be appropriated for FY 2002 and 2003 under the HEA student assistance provisions: (1) Federal TRIO programs; (2) Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP); (3) supplemental education opportunity grants; (4) graduate assistance in areas of national need; and (5) Thurgood Marshall legal educational opportunity program.Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriations for the following higher education programs should be increased by specified amounts for FY 2002 and as necessary for FY 2003: (1) Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP); (2) Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CAMPIS); (3) work-study; (4) National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs; (5) Perkins loans; and (6) Javits fellowships.Expands eligibility under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), Federal direct loan, and Federal Perkins loan programs by: (1) eliminating certain new borrower restrictions; (2) expanding eligible service; and (3) eliminating delays in service benefit. Directs the Secretary of Education to repay or cancel certain amounts of loan obligations under those HEA student loan programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES TO HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Higher Education 
Assistance Improvement Act''.
    (b) References to Higher Education Act of 1965.--Except as 
otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or 
reference is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or reference to, a 
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
made to a section or other provision of the Higher Education Act of 
1965.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM FUNDING AUTHORIZATIONS.

    (a) Pell Grants.--Section 401(b)(2)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1070(b)(2)(A)) is 
amended by striking clauses (iv) and (v) and inserting the following:
            ``(iv) $7,500 for academic year 2002-2003; and
            ``(v) $7,900 for academic year 2003-2004,''.
    (b) TRIO.--Section 402A(f) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11(f)) is amended by 
striking ``$700,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting 
``$1,460,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary 
for the succeeding fiscal year''.
    (c) GEAR UP.--Section 404H (20 U.S.C. 1070a-28) is amended by 
striking ``$200,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting 
``$590,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary 
for the succeeding fiscal year''.
    (d) Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants.--Section 413A(b) (20 
U.S.C. 1070b(b)) is amended by striking ``$675,000,000 for fiscal year 
1999 and such sums as may be necessary for the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years'' and inserting ``$1,300,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such 
sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year''.
    (e) Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need.--Section 716 (20 
U.S.C. 1135e) is amended by striking ``$35,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years'' and inserting ``$62,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums 
as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year''.
    (f) Thurgood Marshall.--Section 721(h) (20 U.S.C. 1136(h)) is 
amended by striking ``$5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and each of the 4 
succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``$8,000,000 for fiscal year 
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal 
year''.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS MANDATE.

    It is the sense of Congress that the appropriations for the 
following higher education programs should be increased as follows:
            (1) LEAP.--The appropriations under section 415A(b)(1) (20 
        U.S.C. 1070c(b)(1)) should be doubled to at least $110,000,000 
        for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the 
        succeeding fiscal year.
            (2) CAMPIS.--The appropriations under section 419N(g) (20 
        U.S.C. 1070e(g)) should be doubled to at least $50,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the 
        succeeding fiscal year.
            (3) Work-study.--The appropriations under section 441(b) 
        (42 U.S.C. 2751(b)) should be increased to at least 
        $1,050,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be 
        necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.
            (4) National health service corps scholarship and loan 
        repayment programs.--The appropriations under sections 338A and 
        338B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l, 254l-1) 
        should be doubled to at least $175,850,000 for fiscal year 2002 
        and such sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal 
        year.
            (5) Perkins loans.--The appropriations under section 
        461(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1087aa(b)(1)) should be doubled to at 
        least $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be 
        necessary for the succeeding fiscal year, and the amount 
        available under section 465 for loan cancellation should be 
        doubled to at least $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such 
        sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.
            (6) Javits fellowships.--The appropriations under section 
        705 (20 U.S.C. 1134d) should be increased to at least 
        $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be 
        necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 4. LOAN FORGIVENESS.

    (a) Expansion of Eligibility.--
            (1) Elimination of new borrower restrictions.--
                    (A) FFEL program.--Section 428J(b) (20 U.S.C. 1078-
                10(b)) is amended by striking ``for any new borrower on 
                or after October 1, 1998, who'' and inserting ``for any 
                borrower who performs the qualifying service on or 
                after October 1, 1998, and who''.
                    (B) Federal direct loan program.--Section 460(b)(1) 
                of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)) is amended by 
                striking ``for any new borrower on or after October 1, 
                1998, who'' and inserting ``for any borrower who 
                performs the qualifying service on or after October 1, 
                1998, and who''.
            (2) Expansion of eligible service; eliminating delay in 
        service benefit.--
                    (A) FFEL program.--Section 428J(b)(1) is amended to 
                read as follows:
            ``(1) has been engaged--
                    ``(A) in any service that qualifies for 
                cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans under section 
                465(a)(2);
                    ``(B) in full-time employment in service to 
                economically disadvantaged individuals or communities, 
                child and elder care services, social work, public 
                prosecutors and defenders, and police, fire, and rescue 
                services, as defined by the Secretary; or
                    ``(C) in full-time employment in any service that 
                the Secretary recognizes by regulation as providing 
                public service that is comparable to the services 
                described in subparagraph (A) or (B); and''.
                    (B) Federal direct loan program.--Section 
                460(b)(1)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)(A)) is amended to 
                read as follows:
                    ``(A) has been engaged--
                            ``(i) in any service that qualifies for 
                        cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans under 
                        section 465(a)(2); or
                            ``(ii) in full-time employment in service 
                        to economically disadvantaged individuals or 
                        communities, child and elder care services, 
                        social work, public prosecutors and defenders, 
                        and police, fire, and rescue services, as 
                        defined by the Secretary;
                            ``(iii) in full-time employment in any 
                        service that the Secretary recognizes by 
                        regulation as providing public service that is 
                        comparable to the services described in clause 
                        (i) or (ii); and''.
                    (C) Perkins loans.--Section 465(a)(2) is amended by 
                adding after the last sentence thereof the following 
                new sentence: ``Whenever the Secretary acts pursuant to 
                section 428J(b)(1)(B) or (C) or 460(b)(1)(A)(ii) or 
                (iii) to recognize by regulation or define additional 
                services as comparable qualifying services under such 
                sections, the Secretary shall, by regulation, recognize 
                such services as qualifying services for purposes of 
                this section.''.
    (b) Amount and Rate of Repayment.--
            (1) FFEL program.--Section 428J(c) (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(c)) 
        is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) Amount and rate of repayment.--The Secretary shall 
        repay the aggregate of the loan obligation on a loan made under 
        section 428 or 428H that is outstanding after the completion of 
        the first complete year of qualifying service described in 
        subsection (b)(1) for which the borrower seeks repayment under 
        this section. Such amount shall be repaid at the rate of one-
        third of such amount for each of the first three years of such 
        service.''.
            (2) Federal direct loan program.--Section 460(c) of such 
        Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (1) 
        and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Amount and rate of repayment.--The Secretary shall 
        cancel the aggregate of the loan obligation on a loan made 
        under section 428 or 428H that is outstanding after the 
        completion of the first complete year of qualifying service 
        described in subsection (b)(1)(A). Such amount shall be 
        canceled at the rate of one-third of such amount for each of 
        the first three years of such service.''.
            (3) Perkins loans.--Section 465(a) (20 U.S.C. 1087ee(a)) is 
        amended by striking paragraph (3)(A) and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(3)(A) The percent of a loan which shall be canceled under 
paragraph (1) of this subsection is at the rate of 33\1/3\ percent for 
each of 3 years of service described in paragraph (2).''.