I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4787 

To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to increase 

the amount of financial support available for working students. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 22, 2019 

Mr. BERA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

in order to increase the amount of financial support 

available for working students. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Working Students 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INCREASING SUPPORT FOR WORKING STUDENTS 

7 BY 35 PERCENT. 

8 (a) DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—Section 475(g)(2)(D) 

9 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

10 1087oo(g)(2)(D)) is amended to read as follows: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4787 IH

1 ‘‘(D) an income protection allowance (or a 

2 successor amount prescribed by the Secretary 

3 under section 478) of $9,010 for academic year 

4 2020–2021;’’. 

5 (b) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND6 ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476(b)(1)(A)(iv) 

7 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

8 1087pp(b)(1)(A)(iv)) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(iv) an income protection allowance 

10 (or a successor amount prescribed by the 

11 Secretary under section 478)— 

12 ‘‘(I) for single or separated stu13 dents, or married students where both 

14 are enrolled pursuant to subsection 

15 (a)(2), of $14,010 for academic year 

16 2020–2021; and 

17 ‘‘(II) for married students where 

18 1 is enrolled pursuant to subsection 

19 (a)(2), of $22,460 for academic year 

20 2020–2021;’’. 

21 (c) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS

22 OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477(b)(4) of the High23 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087qq(b)(4)) is 

24 amended to read as follows: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4787 IH

1 ‘‘(4) INCOME PROTECTION ALLOWANCE.—The 

2 income protection allowance is determined by the fol3 lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 

4 Secretary under section 478), for academic year 

5 2020–2021: 

‘‘Income Protection Allowance 

Family 

Size 

Number in College 

(including 

student) 

1 2 3 4 5 

For each 

additional 

subtract: 

2 $36,370 $30,160 $6,180

3 45,290 39,100 $32,890 

4 55,920 49,720 43,540 $37,300 

5 65,990 59,750 53,570 47,360 $41,180 

6 77,170 70,960 64,790 58,540 52,370 

For each 

additional 

add: 8,710 ’’. 

6 (d) UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS.—Section 

7 478(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

8 1087rr(b)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs 

10 (A) and (B) and inserting the following: 

11 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each academic 

12 year after academic year 2020–2021, the Sec13 retary shall publish in the Federal Register a 

14 revised table of income protection allowances 

15 for the purpose of sections 475(c)(4) and 

16 477(b)(4), subject to subparagraphs (B) and 

17 (C). 

18 ‘‘(B) TABLE FOR INDEPENDENT STU19 DENTS.—For each academic year after acaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Oct 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4787.IH H4787

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4787 IH

1 demic year 2020–2021, the Secretary shall de2 velop the revised table of income protection al3 lowances by increasing each of the dollar 

4 amounts contained in the table of income pro5 tection allowances under section 477(b)(4) by a 

6 percentage equal to the estimated percentage 

7 increase in the Consumer Price Index (as deter8 mined by the Secretary for the most recent cal9 endar year ending prior to the beginning of the 

10 academic year for which the determination is 

11 being made), and rounding the result to the 

12 nearest $10.’’; and 

13 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘shall be de14 veloped’’ and all that follows through the period at 

15 the end and inserting ‘‘shall be developed for each 

16 academic year after academic year 2020–2021, by 

17 increasing each of the dollar amounts contained in 

18 such section for academic year 2020–2021 by a per19 centage equal to the estimated percentage increase 

20 in the Consumer Price Index (as determined by the 

21 Secretary for the most recent calendar year ending 

22 prior to the beginning of the academic year for 

23 which the determination is being made), and round24 ing the result to the nearest $10.’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4787 IH

1 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall take effect beginning on July 1, 2020 

3 and shall apply to grant and award determinations made 

4 under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) beginning with the 2020–2021 award 

6 year. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS