II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2374 

To improve college affordability. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2014 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself and Ms. HIRONO) 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 by striking 

11 clauses (ii) and (iii) and inserting the following: 


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1 ‘‘(ii) AWARD YEAR 2014–2015.—For 

2 award year 2014–2015, the amount deter3 mined under this subparagraph for pur4 poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be in5 creased to $4,040. 

6 ‘‘(iii) SUBSEQUENT AWARD YEARS.— 

7 For award year 2015-2016 and each sub8 sequent award year, the amount deter9 mined under this subparagraph for pur10 poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be 

11 equal to— 

12 ‘‘(I) the amount determined 

13 under this subparagraph for the pre14 ceding award year; increased by 

15 ‘‘(II) a percentage equal to the 

16 annual adjustment percentage for the 

17 award year for which the amount 

18 under this subparagraph is being de19 termined; and 

20 ‘‘(III) rounded to the nearest 

21 $5.’’. 

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

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

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

25 by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(8) YEAR-ROUND FEDERAL PELL GRANT STU2 DENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

4 provision of this subsection, the Secretary shall 

5 award, to an eligible student who meets the require6 ments in subparagraph (B) who has received a Fed7 eral Pell Grant for an award year and is enrolled in 

8 a program of study for 1 or more additional pay9 ment periods during the same award year that are 

10 not otherwise covered by the student’s Federal Pell 

11 Grant, an additional Federal Pell Grant for the ad12 ditional payment periods. 

13 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligible to 

14 receive the additional Federal Pell Grant for an 

15 award year that is described in subparagraph (A), a 

16 student shall, in addition to meeting all eligibility re17 quirements for the receipt of a Federal Pell Grant— 

18 ‘‘(i) be enrolled full-time in an institution 

19 of higher education; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) have successfully completed at least a 

21 full-time course load (as determined by the in22 stitution) prior to receiving an additional Fed23 eral Pell Grant award as described in subpara24 graph (A). 


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1 ‘‘(C) AMOUNTS.—In the case of a student re2 ceiving more than one Federal Pell Grant in a single 

3 award year under subparagraph (A), the total 

4 amount of the Federal Pell Grants awarded to such 

5 student for the award year shall not exceed an 

6 amount equal to 150 percent of the total maximum 

7 Federal Pell Grant for such award year calculated in 

8 accordance with paragraph (7)(C)(iv)(II). 

9 ‘‘(D) INCLUSION IN DURATION LIMIT.—Any pe10 riod of study covered by a Federal Pell Grant 

11 awarded under subparagraph (A) shall be included 

12 in determining a student’s duration limit under sub13 section (c)(5). 

14 ‘‘(9) CROSSOVER PERIOD.—In any case where an eli15 gible student is receiving a Federal Pell Grant for a pay16 ment period that spans 2 award years, the Secretary shall 

17 allow the eligible institution in which the student is en18 rolled to determine the award year to which the additional 

19 period shall be assigned.’’. 

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

21 subsection (a) shall take effect on July 1, 2014. 

22 SEC. 4. PELL GRANT DURATION LIMIT. 

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

24 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘12 


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

2 term appears. 

Æ 


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