II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 996 

To improve college affordability. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 1, 2017 

Mr. HEINRICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To improve college affordability. 

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 ‘‘Creating Higher Edu5 cation Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘Middle Class CHANCE Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. INCREASE IN THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF A FED8 ERAL PELL GRANT. 

9 Section 401(b)(7)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 

10 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)(7)(C)) is amended— 

11 (1) in clause (i)(I), by striking ‘‘clause (iv)(II)’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘clause (v)(II)’’; 


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1 (2) in clause (ii)— 

2 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘THROUGH

3 2017–2018’’ and inserting ‘‘THROUGH 2016–2017’’; 

4 (B) in the matter preceding subclause (I), 

5 by striking ‘‘through 2017–2018’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘and 2016–2017’’; and 

7 (C) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘clause 

8 (iv)(II)’’ and inserting ‘‘clause (v)(II)’’; 

9 (3) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as 

10 clauses (iv) and (v), respectively; 

11 (4) by inserting after clause (ii) the following: 

12 ‘‘(iii) AWARD YEAR 2017–2018.—For 

13 award year 2017–2018, the amount deter14 mined under this subparagraph for pur15 poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be 

16 equal to— 

17 ‘‘(I) $9,650; reduced by 

18 ‘‘(II) the maximum Federal Pell 

19 Grant for which a student was eligi20 ble, as specified in the last enacted 

21 appropriation Act applicable to award 

22 year 2017–2018; and 

23 ‘‘(III) rounded to the nearest 

24 $5.’’; and 


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1 (5) by striking clause (iv), as redesignated by 

2 paragraph (3), and inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(iv) SUBSEQUENT AWARD YEARS.— 

4 For award year 2018–2019 and each sub5 sequent award year, the amount deter6 mined under this subparagraph for pur7 poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be 

8 equal to— 

9 ‘‘(I) the amount determined 

10 under this subparagraph for the pre11 ceding award year; increased by 

12 ‘‘(II) a percentage equal to the 

13 annual adjustment percentage for the 

14 award year for which the amount 

15 under this subparagraph is being de16 termined; and 

17 ‘‘(III) rounded to the nearest 

18 $5.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. YEAR-ROUND FEDERAL PELL GRANT STUDENTS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 401(b) of the Higher 

21 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)) is amended 

22 by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(8)(A) In this paragraph, the term ‘eligible student’ 

24 means a student who— 


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1 ‘‘(i) has received a Federal Pell Grant for an 

2 award year and is enrolled in an eligible program for 

3 one or more additional payment periods during the 

4 same award year that are not otherwise fully covered 

5 by the student’s Federal Pell Grant; 

6 ‘‘(ii) continues to meets all eligibility require7 ments to receive a Federal Pell Grant under this 

8 section; and 

9 ‘‘(iii) attends an institution of higher education 

10 on average, not less than a half-time basis. 

11 ‘‘(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 

12 subsection, the Secretary shall award an additional Fed13 eral Pell Grant to an eligible student for the additional 

14 payment periods during an award year that are not other15 wise fully covered by the student’s Federal Pell Grant for 

16 the award year. 

17 ‘‘(C) In the case of a student receiving more than 

18 one Federal Pell Grant in a single award year under sub19 paragraph (B), the total amount of the Federal Pell 

20 Grants awarded to such student for the award year shall 

21 not exceed an amount equal to 150 percent of the total 

22 maximum Federal Pell Grant for such award year cal23 culated in accordance with paragraph (7)(C)(v)(II). 

24 ‘‘(D) Any period of study covered by a Federal Pell 

25 Grant awarded under subparagraph (B) shall be included 


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1 in determining a student’s duration limit under subsection 

2 (c)(5). 

3 ‘‘(9) In any case where an eligible student is receiving 

4 a Federal Pell Grant for a payment period that spans 2 

5 award years, the Secretary shall allow the eligible institu6 tion in which the student is enrolled to determine the 

7 award year to which the additional period shall be as8 signed.’’. 

9 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

10 subsection (a) shall take effect on July 1, 2017. 

11 SEC. 4. PELL GRANT DURATION LIMIT. 

12 Section 401(c)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 

13 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘12 

14 semesters’’ and inserting ‘‘15 semesters’’ each place the 

15 term appears. 

Æ 


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