I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4216 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase support for working 

students, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 30, 2019 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. VAN DREW, and Mr. 

FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase 

support for working students, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Strengthening Finan5 cial Aid for Students Act (Strengthening FAFSA)’’. 

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: 


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

2 successor amount prescribed by the Secretary 

3 under section 478) of $9,230 for award year 

4 2020–2021;’’. 

5 (b) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND6 ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476 of such Act 

7 (20 U.S.C. 1087pp) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘award pe9 riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

10 (2) by amending subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv) to 

11 read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(iv) an income protection allowance 

13 (or a successor amount prescribed by the 

14 Secretary under section 478)— 

15 ‘‘(I) for single or separated stu16 dents, or married students where both 

17 are enrolled pursuant to subsection 

18 (a)(2), of $14,360 for award year 

19 2020–2021; and 

20 ‘‘(II) for married students where 

21 one is enrolled pursuant to subsection 

22 (a)(2), of $23,030 for award year 

23 2020–2021;’’. 


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1 (c) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS

2 OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477 of such Act (20 

3 U.S.C. 1087qq) is amended— 

4 (1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘award pe5 riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 

6 (2) by amending subsection (b)(4) to read as 

7 follows: 

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

9 income protection allowance is determined by the fol10 lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 

11 Secretary under section 478), for award year 2020– 

12 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 52,350 

For each 

additional 

add: 8,710 ’’. 

13 (d) UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS.—Section 478 

14 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087rr) is amended— 

15 (1) in subsection (b)— 

16 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking subpara17 graphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following: 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each award year 

19 after award year 2020–2021, the Secretary 


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1 shall publish in the Federal Register a revised 

2 table of income protection allowances for the 

3 purpose of sections 475(c)(4) and 477(b)(4), 

4 subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C). 

5 ‘‘(B) TABLE FOR INDEPENDENT STU6 DENTS.—For each award year after award year 

7 2020–2021, the Secretary shall develop the re8 vised table of income protection allowances by 

9 increasing each of the dollar amounts contained 

10 in the table of income protection allowances 

11 under section 477(b)(4) by a percentage equal 

12 to the estimated percentage increase in the 

13 Consumer Price Index (as determined by the 

14 Secretary for the most recent calendar year 

15 ending prior to the beginning of the award year 

16 for which the determination is being made), and 

17 rounding the result up to the nearest $10.’’; 

18 and 

19 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

20 (i) in the first sentence, by striking 

21 ‘‘academic year after academic year 2007– 

22 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘award year after 

23 award year 2020–2021’’; and 

24 (ii) in the second sentence, by striking 

25 ‘‘shall be developed’’ and all that follows 


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1 through the period at the end and insert2 ing ‘‘shall be developed for each award 

3 year after award year 2020–2021, by in4 creasing each of the dollar amounts con5 tained in such section for award year 

6 2020–2021 by a percentage equal to the 

7 estimated percentage increase in the Con8 sumer Price Index (as determined by the 

9 Secretary for the most recent calendar 

10 year ending prior to the beginning of the 

11 award year for which the determination is 

12 being made), and rounding the result up to 

13 the nearest $10.’’; and 

14 (2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘academic 

15 year’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’. 

16 SEC. 3. RAISING THE TOTAL SEMESTERS OF FEDERAL PELL 

17 GRANT ELIGIBILITY. 

18 Section 401(c)(5)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 

19 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking 

20 ‘‘12’’ each place the term appears and inserting ‘‘14’’. 

Æ 


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