II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2462

To provide additional assistance to recipients of Federal Pell Grants who 

are pursuing programs of study in engineering, mathematics, science, 

or foreign languages. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 20, 2004

Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. ROBERTS, and Mr. ALLEN) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL

To provide additional assistance to recipients of Federal Pell 

Grants who are pursuing programs of study in engineering, mathematics, science, or foreign languages.

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 ‘‘21st Century Federal 

5 Pell Grant Plus Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL PELL GRANTS WHO ARE 

2 PURSUING PROGRAMS OF STUDY IN ENGI3 NEERING, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, OR FOR4 EIGN LANGUAGES. 

5 Section 401(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 

6 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)(2)) is amended by adding at 

7 the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(C)(i) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) and sub9 ject to clause (iii), in the case of a student who is eligible 

10 under this part and who is pursuing a degree with a major 

11 in, or a certificate or program of study relating to, engi12 neering, mathematics, science (such as physics, chemistry, 

13 or computer science), or a foreign language, described in 

14 a list developed or updated under clause (ii), the amount 

15 of the Federal Pell Grant shall be the amount calculated 

16 for the student under subparagraph (A) for the academic 

17 year involved, multiplied by 2. 

18 ‘‘(ii)(I) The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec19 retary of Defense, the Secretary of the Department of 

20 Homeland Security, and the Director of the National 

21 Science Foundation, shall develop, update not less than 

22 once every 2 years, and publish in the Federal Register, 

23 a list of engineering, mathematics, and science degrees, 

24 majors, certificates, or programs that if pursued by a stu25 dent, may enable the student to receive the increased Fed26 eral Pell Grant amount under clause (i). In developing and 
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1 updating the list the Secretaries and Director shall con2 sider the following: 

3 ‘‘(aa) The current engineering, mathematics, 

4 and science needs of the United States with respect 

5 to national security, homeland security, and eco6 nomic security. 

7 ‘‘(bb) Whether institutions of higher education 

8 in the United States are currently producing enough 

9 graduates with degrees to meet the national security, 

10 homeland security, and economic security needs of 

11 the United States. 

12 ‘‘(cc) The future expected workforce needs of 

13 the United States required to help ensure the Na14 tion’s national security, homeland security, and eco15 nomic security. 

16 ‘‘(dd) Whether institutions of higher education 

17 in the United States are expected to produce enough 

18 graduates with degrees to meet the future national 

19 security, homeland security, and economic security 

20 needs of the United States. 

21 ‘‘(II) The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec22 retary of Defense, the Secretary of the Department of 

23 Homeland Security, and the Secretary of State, shall de24 velop, update not less than once every 2 years, and publish 

25 in the Federal Register, a list of foreign language degrees, 
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1 majors, certificates, or programs that if pursued by a stu2 dent, may enable the student to receive the increased Fed3 eral Pell Grant amount under clause (i). In developing and 

4 updating the list the Secretaries shall consider the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(aa) The foreign language needs of the United 

7 States with respect to national security, homeland 

8 security, and economic security. 

9 ‘‘(bb) Whether institutions of higher education 

10 in the United States are currently producing enough 

11 graduates with degrees to meet the national security, 

12 homeland security, and economic security needs of 

13 the United States. 

14 ‘‘(cc) The future expected workforce needs of 

15 the United States required to help ensure the Na16 tion’s national security, homeland security, and eco17 nomic security. 

18 ‘‘(dd) Whether institutions of higher education 

19 in the United States are expected to produce enough 

20 graduates with degrees to meet the future national 

21 security, homeland security, and economic security 

22 needs of the United States. 

23 ‘‘(iii) Each student who received an increased Federal 

24 Pell Grant amount under clause (i) to pursue a degree, 

25 major, certificate, or program described in a list published 
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1 under subclause (I) or (II) of clause (ii) shall continue 

2 to be eligible for the increased Federal Pell Grant amount 

3 in subsequent academic years if the degree, major, certifi4 cate, or program, respectively, is subsequently removed 

5 from the list. 

6 ‘‘(iv)(I) If a student who received an increased Fed7 eral Pell Grant amount under clause (i) changes the stu8 dent’s course of study to a degree, major, certificate, or 

9 program that is not included in a list described in clause 

10 (ii), then the Secretary shall reduce the amount of Federal 

11 Pell Grant assistance the student is eligible to receive 

12 under this section for subsequent academic years by an 

13 amount equal to the difference between the total amount 

14 the student received under this subparagraph and the 

15 total amount the student would have received under this 

16 section if this subparagraph had not been applied. 

17 ‘‘(II) The Secretary shall reduce the amount of Fed18 eral Pell Grant assistance the student is eligible to receive 

19 in subsequent academic years by dividing the total amount 

20 to be reduced under subclause (I) for the student by the 

21 number of years the student received an increased Federal 

22 Pell Grant amount under clause (i), and deducting the re23 sult from the amount of Federal Pell Grant assistance the 

24 student is eligible to receive under this section for a num25 ber of subsequent academic years equal to the number of 
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1 academic years the student received an increased Federal 

2 Pell Grant amount under clause (i).’’.

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