II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1155 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2017 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mr. REED, Mr. KAINE, and Mr. BROWN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

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’’. 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS

2 

•S 1155 IS

1 SEC. 2. INCREASING SUPPORT FOR WORKING STUDENTS 

2 BY 35 PERCENT. 

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

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

5 1087oo(g)(2)(D)) is amended to read as follows: 

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

7 successor amount prescribed by the Secretary 

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

9 2018–2019;’’. 

10 (b) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND11 ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476(b)(1)(A)(iv) 

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

13 1087pp(b)(1)(A)(iv)) is amended to read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(iv) an income protection allowance 

15 (or a successor amount prescribed by the 

16 Secretary under section 478)— 

17 ‘‘(I) for single or separated stu18 dents, or married students where both 

19 are enrolled pursuant to subsection 

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

21 2018–2019; and 

22 ‘‘(II) for married students where 

23 one is enrolled pursuant to subsection 

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

25 2018–2019;’’. 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS

3 

•S 1155 IS

1 (c) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS

2 OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477(b)(4) of the High3 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087qq(b)(4)) is 

4 amended to read as follows: 

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

6 income protection allowance is determined by the fol7 lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 

8 Secretary under section 478), for academic year 

9 2018–2019: 

‘‘Income Protection Allowance 

Family 

Size 

Number in College 

(including 

student) 

1 2 3 4 5 

For each 

additional 

subtract: 

2 $35,470 $29,410 $6,030

3 44,170 38,130 $32,070 

4 54,540 45,490 42,450 $36,370 

5 64,360 58,280 52,240 46,190 $40,160 

6 75,260 69,210 63,190 57,090 51,070 

For each 

additional 

add: 8,500 ’’. 

10 (d) UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS.—Section 

11 478(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

12 1087rr(b)) is amended— 

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

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

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

16 year after academic year 2018–2019, the Sec17 retary shall publish in the Federal Register a 

18 revised table of income protection allowances 

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

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS

4 

•S 1155 IS

1 477(b)(4), subject to subparagraphs (B) and 

2 (C). 

3 ‘‘(B) TABLE FOR INDEPENDENT STU4 DENTS.—For each academic year after aca5 demic year 2018–2019, the Secretary shall de6 velop the revised table of income protection al7 lowances by increasing each of the dollar 

8 amounts contained in the table of income pro9 tection allowances under section 477(b)(4) by a 

10 percentage equal to the estimated percentage 

11 increase in the Consumer Price Index (as deter12 mined by the Secretary for the most recent cal13 endar year ending prior to the beginning of the 

14 academic year for which the determination is 

15 being made), and rounding the result to the 

16 nearest $10.’’; and 

17 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘shall be de18 veloped’’ and all that follows through the period at 

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

20 academic year after academic year 2018–2019, by 

21 increasing each of the dollar amounts contained in 

22 such section for academic year 2018–2019 by a per23 centage equal to the estimated percentage increase 

24 in the Consumer Price Index (as determined by the 

25 Secretary for the most recent calendar year ending 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS

5 

•S 1155 IS

1 prior to the beginning of the academic year for 

2 which the determination is being made), and round3 ing the result to the nearest $10.’’. 

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

5 this section shall take effect beginning on July 1, 2018, 

6 and shall apply to grant and award determinations made 

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

8 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) beginning with the 2018–2019 award 

9 year. 

Æ 

mstockstill on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS