Degrees Not Debt Act of 2019

To give middle-class families access to the maximum Federal Pell Grant, to increase college transparency, and State maintenance of efforts, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Degrees Not Debt Act of 2019 2. Increase in the maximum amount of a Federal Pell grant Section 401(b)(7)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)(7)(C) (1) in clause (i)(I), by striking clause (iv)(II) clause (v)(II) (2) in clause (ii)(I), by striking clause (iv)(II) clause (v)(II) (3) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as clauses (iv) and (v), respectively; (4) by inserting after clause (ii) the following: (iii) Award year 2019–2020 For award year 2019–2020, the amount determined under this subparagraph for purposes of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be equal to— (I) $10,000; reduced by (II) the maximum Federal Pell Grant for which a student would be eligible using the criteria provided under section 479; and (III) rounded to the nearest $5. ; and (5) by striking clause (iv), as redesignated by paragraph (3), and inserting the following: (iv) Subsequent award years For award year 2020–2021 and each subsequent award year, the amount determined under this subparagraph for purposes of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be equal to— (I) the amount determined under this subparagraph for the preceding award year; increased by (II) a percentage equal to the annual adjustment percentage for the award year for which the amount under this subparagraph is being determined; and (III) rounded to the nearest $5. . 3. Increase family income threshold for determination of expected family contribution equal to zero (a) In general Section 479 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087ss 479. Simplified application (a) Simplified application section (1) In general The Secretary shall develop and use an easily identifiable simplified application section as part of the common financial reporting form prescribed under section 483(a) for families described in subsection (b). (2) Reduced data requirements The simplified application form shall in the case of a family meeting the requirements of subsection (b), permit such family to be treated as having an expected family contribution equal to zero for purposes of establishing such eligibility and to submit only the data elements required to make a determination under subsection (b). (b) Zero expected family contribution The Secretary shall consider an applicant to have an expected family contribution equal to zero if— (1) in the case of a dependent student, the sum of the adjusted gross income of the student’s parents is less than or equal to 250 percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) (2) in the case of an independent student with dependents other than a spouse, the sum of the adjusted gross income of the student and the student’s spouse (if appropriate) is less than or equal to 250 percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) (3) in the case of an independent student without dependents other than a spouse, the sum of the adjusted gross income of the student and the student’s spouse (if appropriate) is less than or equal to 250 percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) (c) Adjustments An individual is not required to qualify or file for the earned income credit in order to be eligible under this subsection. The Secretary shall annually adjust the income level necessary to qualify an applicant for the zero expected family contribution. The income level shall be adjusted according to increases in the Consumer Price Index, as defined in section 478(f). . (b) Adjustments in income protection allowances For each academic year, the Secretary of Education shall continue to publish in the Federal Register a revised table of income protection allowances pursuant to section 478(b)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087rr(b)(1)(A) 4. State responsibility (a) Maintenance of effort requirements Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a (k) Institutional ineligibility based on failure of state To maintain higher education appropriations level (1) In general Each State that receives funds under this Act shall maintain expenditures and State financial aid for institutions of higher education in the State, with respect to a fiscal year, at an amount that is equal to or more than the average amount of State expenditures and State financial aid for institutions of higher education in the State for the 10 fiscal years preceding such fiscal year. (2) Consequences of failure to maintain effort Notwithstanding any other provision of law and beginning 5 years after the date of enactment of the Degrees Not Debt Act of 2019, the Secretary shall not make a payment under this subpart to an institution of higher education for a fiscal year for the purpose of making a Federal Pell Grant to eligible students in attendance at such institution and any such student shall not be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for attendance at such institution for the fiscal year, if the institution— (A) is an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102; and (B) is located in a State that has not maintained expenditures and State financial aid for institutions of higher education in the State, with respect to the fiscal year, at an amount that is equal to or more than the average amount of State expenditures and State financial aid for institutions of higher education in the State for the 5 fiscal years preceding such fiscal year. (3) Waiver The Secretary may waive the requirement of paragraph (1) for a State, for one fiscal year at a time, and the provisions of paragraph (2) shall have no effect for such fiscal year if the Secretary determines that granting a waiver would be equitable due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of the State. . 5. College and university responsibility (a) Program participation agreements Section 487 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1094 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following: (30) The institution will put a prominent link on the homepage of the institution’s primary website that goes directly to a report of a standard set of key performance indicators with respect to the institution, as described in subsection (k). ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (k) Performance indicators (1) In general The key performance indicators under this subsection are the following: (A) (i) Graduation rates— (I) at 100 percent of the normal time for graduation; (II) at 150 percent of the normal time for graduation; (III) at 200 percent of the normal time for graduation; and (IV) each of which is disaggregated by age (25 years old and younger, and older than 25 years old), income, race and ethnicity, and first-generation college status. (ii) Transfer out rates. Each such rate shall be disaggregated by age (25 years old and younger, and older than 25 years old), income, race and ethnicity, and first-generation college status. (iii) Withdrawal rates, including rates of students who withdraw from a certificate program to seek employment in a related field of study. (B) Employment outcomes, including the following: (i) The average salary of a graduate 3 years after graduation. (ii) The percentage of graduates who, 180 days after graduation— (I) are employed full-time; (II) are employed part-time; (III) are employed in the graduate’s field of study or certificate; and (IV) make more than $25,000 a year. (iii) The cohort repayment rate. (C) Student satisfaction rate as indicated by a survey of all students and recent alumni with the following 2 questions using a 5-point Likert scale: (i) How satisfied are you with your educational experience at [name of institution]? (ii) If you were making the decision today, how likely would you be to choose to attend [name of institution] again? (D) The percentage of students who continue enrollment at the institution after the first year of enrollment. (E) The average net price for the institution’s most recent cohort of graduates, dis­ag­gre­gat­ed by income quartile. (F) The average annual net price for full-time attendance, broken out by tuition, fees, living costs, and other (indirect) costs. (G) The median time to degree completion. (H) The percentage of enrolled students with student loan debt. (I) The average student loan debt at time of graduation for the most recent cohort of graduates who borrowed money. (J) The average student loan debt at time of withdrawal for the most recent cohort of non-graduates who borrowed money. (2) Cohort repayment rate (A) In general In this subsection, the term cohort repayment rate (i) in the case in which 30 or more borrowers at the institution enter repayment on Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, received for attendance at the institution, the percentage of those borrowers who are not in default and who make at least a one dollar reduction on their initial student loan principal balance before the end of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the borrowers entered repayment, except as provided in subparagraph (B); and (ii) in the case in which less than 30 borrowers at the institution enter repayment on Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, received for attendance at the institution, the percentage of those borrowers plus all of the borrowers at the institution who entered repayment on such loans (or on the portion of a loan made under section 428C that is used to repay any such loans) in the 3 fiscal years preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, who are not in default and who make at least a one dollar reduction on their initial student loan principal balance before the end of the second fiscal year following the year in which the borrowers entered repayment, except as provided in subparagraph (B). (B) Exception The cohort repayment rate (i) in deferment on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) due to study in an approved graduate fellowship program or in an approved rehabilitation training program for the disabled; (ii) in deferment on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) during a period of at least half-time enrollment in college or a career school; (iii) in deferment on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) during a period of service qualifying for loan discharge or cancellation under part E; (iv) in deferment on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) due to active duty military service of the borrower during a war, military operation, or national emergency; (v) in deferment on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) during the 13 months following the conclusion of qualifying active duty military service by the borrower, or until the borrower returns to enrollment on at least a half-time basis, whichever is earlier, if the borrower is a member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the Armed Forces and was called or ordered to active duty while enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school or within 6 months of having been enrolled at least half-time; (vi) in mandatory forbearance on repayment of a loan described in subparagraph (A) for the full fiscal year; or (vii) serving as a volunteer under the Peace Corps Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2501 42 U.S.C. 4950 (3) New data points The Secretary shall work with the National Center for Education Statistics to identify new data points that need to be collected to assist colleges and universities with the collection, organization, and distribution of key performance indicators and cohort repayment rates. (4) Guidance The Secretary shall issue guidance, with input from stakeholders, to facilitate the data collection and display of key performance indicators. . (b) Enhanced data collection for institutions with enrollment rates of less than 5,000 students Section 489(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1096(a) (1) in the first sentence, by inserting (or, in the case of an institution with an enrollment of less than 5,000 students, $6) $5 (2) by adding at the end the following: In addition, the Secretary shall provide funds to assist small institutions of higher education, with enrollment rates of less than 5,000 students, with data collection, organization, and distribution of performance indicators and cohort repayment rates. 6. Repeal of increased alternative minimum tax exemption amount for individuals (a) In general Section 55(d) (b) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018. 7. Repeal of increased estate and gift tax exemption (a) In general Section 2010(c)(3) January 1, 2026 the date of the enactment of the Degrees Not Debt Act of 2019 (b) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall apply to estates of decedents dying and gifts made after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: Degrees Not Debt Act of 2019 This bill sets forth provisions to increase the availability of need-based federal student aid and require an institution of higher education (IHE) to disclose performance indicators. The bill repeals the alternative minimum tax exemption and the increased estate and gift tax exemption and uses the tax revenue to increase need-based federal student aid. Specifically, the bill increases (1) the maximum amount of the federal Pell Grant, and (2) the income threshold that triggers an automatic zero for an expected family contribution. In addition, the bill eliminates Pell Grant funding for an institution of higher education in a state that does not maintain its funding levels for IHEs. Finally, an IHE must disclose performance indicators (e.g., graduation rates and employment outcomes).