H. R. 133—2009 
‘‘(i) notify prospective and existing students who 
are low-income individuals and families about their 
eligibility for Federal aid under this title, as well as 
State-based financial aid, if applicable, on an annual 
basis; 
‘‘(ii) increase the number of prospective and cur-
rent students who are low-income individuals and fami-
lies filing the Free Application for Federal Student 
Aid; and 
‘‘(iii) increase the number of prospective and cur-
rent students who are low-income individuals and fami-
lies enrolling in postsecondary education. 
‘‘(B) REPORTING AND UPDATES.—Each entity that makes 
a voluntary public commitment to carry out an early aware-
ness plan may submit quantitative and qualitative data 
based on the entity’s progress toward the goals of the 
plan annually prior to a date selected by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) EARLY
AWARENESS
CHAMPIONS.—Based on data 
submitted by entities, the Secretary shall select and des-
ignate entities submitting public commitments, plans, and 
goals, as Early Awareness Champions on an annual basis. 
Those entities designated as Early Awareness Champions 
shall provide one or more case studies regarding the activi-
ties the entity undertook under this paragraph which shall 
be made public by the Secretary on the Department of 
Education website to promote best practices. 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop and imple-
ment a public awareness campaign designed using current and 
relevant independent research regarding strategies and media 
platforms found to be most effective in communicating with 
low-income populations in order to increase national awareness 
regarding the availability of Federal Pell Grants and financial 
aid under this title and, at the option of the Secretary, potential 
availability of state need-based financial aid. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION.—The public awareness campaign 
described in paragraph (1) shall leverage the activities in sub-
sections (b) and (c) to highlight eligibility among low-income 
populations. In developing and implementing the campaign, 
the Secretary may work in coordination with States, institutions 
of higher education, early intervention and outreach programs 
under this title, other Federal agencies, agencies responsible 
for administering means-tested Federal benefit programs (as 
defined in section 479(b)(4)(H)), organizations involved in col-
lege access and student financial aid, secondary schools, local 
educational agencies, public libraries, community centers, 
businesses, employers, workforce investment boards, and 
organizations that provide services to individuals who are or 
were homeless, in foster care, or are disconnected youth. 
‘‘(3) REPORTING.—The Secretary shall report on the success 
of the public awareness campaign described in paragraph (1) 
annually regarding the extent to which the public and target 
populations were reached using data commonly used to evaluate 
advertising and outreach campaigns and data regarding 
whether the campaign produced any increase in applicants 
for Federal aid under this title publicly on the Department 
of Education website.’’.
H. R. 133—2010 
(p) PROCEDURE
AND
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
REQUESTING
TAX 
RETURN INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.— 
Section 494(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1098h(a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) if an individual is pursuing provisional inde-
pendent student status due to an unusual circumstance, 
as described in section 479A and provided for in section 
479D, require such individual to provide an affirmative 
approval under subparagraph (B), but not require a parent 
of such individual to provide an affirmative approval under 
subparagraph (B).’’. 
SEC. 703. FEDERAL PELL GRANTS: AMOUNT AND DETERMINATIONS; 
APPLICATIONS. 
Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 401. FEDERAL PELL GRANTS: AMOUNT AND DETERMINATIONS; 
APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS.— 
‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subpart is to provide 
a Federal Pell Grant to low-income students. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘adjusted gross income’ means— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a dependent student, the adjusted 
gross income (as defined in section 62 of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986) of the student’s parents in 
the second tax year preceding the academic year; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an independent student, the 
adjusted gross income (as defined in section 62 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986) of the student (and 
the student’s spouse, if applicable) in the second tax 
year preceding the academic year; 
‘‘(B) the term ‘family size’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 480(k); 
‘‘(C) the term ‘poverty line’ means the poverty line 
(as determined under the poverty guidelines updated 
periodically in the Federal Register by the Department 
of Health and Human Services under the authority of 
section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 
(42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) applicable to the student’s family size 
and applicable to the second tax year preceding the aca-
demic year; 
‘‘(D) the term ‘single parent’ means— 
‘‘(i) a parent of a dependent student who was a 
head of household (as defined in section 2(b) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or a surviving spouse 
(as defined in section 2(a) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986) or was an eligible individual for purposes 
of the credit under section 32 of such Code, in the 
second tax year preceding the academic year; or 
‘‘(ii) an independent student who is a parent and 
was a head of household (as defined in section 2(b)
H. R. 133—2011 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or a surviving 
spouse (as defined in section 2(a) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986) or was an eligible individual for 
purposes of the credit under section 32 of such Code, 
in the second tax year preceding the academic year; 
‘‘(E) the term ‘total maximum Federal Pell Grant’ 
means the total maximum Federal Pell Grant award per 
student for any academic year described under subsection 
(b)(5); and 
‘‘(F) the term ‘minimum Federal Pell Grant’ means 
the minimum amount of a Federal Pell Grant that shall 
be awarded to a student for any academic year in which 
that student is attending full time, which shall be equal 
to 10 percent of the total maximum Federal Pell Grant 
for such academic year. 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT AND DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT
OF
A
FEDERAL
PELL 
GRANT.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the amount of a 
Federal Pell Grant for a student shall be determined in accord-
ance with the following: 
‘‘(A) A student shall be eligible for a total maximum 
Federal Pell Grant for an academic year in which the 
student is enrolled in an eligible program full time— 
‘‘(i) if the student (and the student’s spouse, if 
applicable), or, in the case of a dependent student, 
the dependent student’s parents (or single parent), is 
not required to file a Federal income tax return in 
the second year preceding the academic year; 
‘‘(ii) if the student or, in the case of a dependent 
student, the dependent student’s parent, is a single 
parent, and the adjusted gross income is greater than 
zero and equal to or less than 225 percent of the 
poverty line; or 
‘‘(iii) if the student or, in the case of a dependent 
student, the dependent student’s parent, is not a single 
parent, and the adjusted gross income is greater than 
zero and equal to or less than 175 percent of the 
poverty line. 
‘‘(B) A student who is not eligible for a total maximum 
Federal Pell Grant under subparagraph (A) for an academic 
year, shall be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant for an 
academic year in which the student is enrolled in an eligible 
program full time if such student’s student aid index in 
such award year is less than the total maximum Federal 
Pell Grant for that award year. The amount of the Federal 
Pell Grant for a student eligible under this subparagraph 
shall be— 
‘‘(i) the total maximum Federal Pell Grant as cal-
culated under paragraph (5)(A) for that year, less 
‘‘(ii) an amount equal to the amount determined 
to be the student aid index with respect to that student 
for that year, except that a student aid index of less 
than zero shall be considered to be zero for the pur-
poses of this clause, 
rounded to the nearest $5, except that a student eligible 
for less than the minimum Federal Pell Grant as defined 
in section (a)(2)(F) shall not be eligible for an award.
H. R. 133—2012 
‘‘(C) A student who is not eligible for a Federal Pell 
Grant under subparagraph (A) or (B) shall be eligible for 
the minimum Federal Pell Grant for an academic year 
in which the student is enrolled in an eligible program 
full time— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a dependent student— 
‘‘(I) if the student’s parent is a single parent, 
and the adjusted gross income is equal to or less 
than 325 percent of the poverty line; or 
‘‘(II) if the student’s parent is not a single 
parent, and the adjusted gross income is equal 
to or less than 275 percent of the poverty line; 
or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an independent student— 
‘‘(I) if the student is a single parent, and the 
adjusted gross income is equal to or less than 
400 percent of the poverty line; 
‘‘(II) if the student is a parent and is not 
a single parent, and the adjusted gross income 
is equal to or less than 350 percent of the poverty 
line; or 
‘‘(III) if the student is not a parent, and the 
adjusted gross income is equal to or less than 
275 percent of the poverty line. 
‘‘(D) A student eligible for the total maximum Federal 
Pell Grant under subparagraph (A) who has (or whose 
spouse or parent, as applicable based on whose information 
is used under such subparagraph, has) foreign income that 
would, if added to adjusted gross income, result in the 
student no longer being eligible for such total maximum 
Federal Pell Grant, shall not be provided a Federal Pell 
Grant until the student aid administrator evaluates the 
student’s FAFSA and makes a determination regarding 
whether it is appropriate to make an adjustment under 
section 479A(b)(1)(B)(v) to account for such foreign income 
when determining the student’s eligibility for such total 
maximum Federal Pell Grant. 
‘‘(E) With respect to a student who is not eligible 
for the total maximum Federal Pell Grant under subpara-
graph (A) or a minimum Federal Pell Grant under subpara-
graph (C), the Secretary shall subtract from the student 
or parents’ adjusted gross income, as applicable based on 
whose income is used for the Federal Pell Grant calculation, 
the sum of the following for the individual whose income 
is so used, and consider such difference the adjusted gross 
income for purposes of determining the student’s eligibility 
for such Federal Pell Grant award under such subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(i) If the applicant, or, if applicable, the parents 
or spouse of the applicant, elects to report receiving 
college grant and scholarship aid included in gross 
income on a Federal tax return described in section 
480(e)(2), the amount of such aid. 
‘‘(ii) Income earned from work under part C of 
this title.
H. R. 133—2013 
‘‘(2) LESS
THAN
FULL-TIME
ENROLLMENT.—In any case 
where a student is enrolled in an eligible program of an institu-
tion of higher education on less than a full-time basis (including 
a student who attends an institution of higher education on 
less than a half-time basis) during any academic year, the 
amount of the Federal Pell Grant to which that student is 
entitled shall be reduced in direct proportion to the degree 
to which that student is not so enrolled on a full-time basis, 
rounded to the nearest whole percentage point, as provided 
in a schedule of reductions published by the Secretary computed 
in accordance with this subpart. Such schedule of reductions 
shall be published in the Federal Register in accordance with 
section 482. Such reduced Federal Pell Grant for a student 
enrolled on a less than full-time basis shall also apply propor-
tionally to students who are otherwise eligible to receive the 
minimum Federal Pell Grant, if enrolled full-time. 
‘‘(3) AWARD MAY NOT EXCEED COST OF ATTENDANCE.—No 
Federal Pell Grant under this subpart shall exceed the cost 
of attendance (as defined in section 472) at the institution 
at which that student is in attendance. If, with respect to 
any student, it is determined that the amount of a Federal 
Pell Grant for that student exceeds the cost of attendance 
for that year, the amount of the Federal Pell Grant shall 
be reduced until the Federal Pell Grant does not exceed the 
cost of attendance at such institution. 
‘‘(4) STUDY ABROAD.—Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this subpart, the Secretary shall allow the amount of the 
Federal Pell Grant to be exceeded for students participating 
in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the institu-
tion at which the student is enrolled when the reasonable 
costs of such program are greater than the cost of attendance 
at the student’s home institution, except that the amount of 
such Federal Pell Grant in any fiscal year shall not exceed 
the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant for which a 
student is eligible under paragraph (1) or (2) during such 
award year. If the preceding sentence applies, the financial 
aid administrator at the home institution may use the cost 
of the study abroad program, rather than the home institution’s 
cost, to determine the cost of attendance of the student. 
‘‘(5) TOTAL MAXIMUM FEDERAL PELL GRANT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—For award year 2023–2024, and 
each subsequent award year, the total maximum Federal 
Pell Grant award per student shall be equal to the sum 
of— 
‘‘(i) $1,060; and 
‘‘(ii) the amount specified as the maximum Federal 
Pell Grant in the last enacted appropriation Act 
applicable to that award year. 
‘‘(B) ROUNDING.—The total maximum Federal Pell 
Grant for any award year shall be rounded to the nearest 
$5. 
‘‘(6) FUNDS BY FISCAL YEAR.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this section— 
‘‘(i) there are authorized to be appropriated and 
are appropriated (in addition to any other amounts 
appropriated to carry out this section and out of any 
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated)
H. R. 133—2014 
such sums as are necessary to carry out paragraph 
(5)(A)(i) for fiscal year 2023 and each subsequent fiscal 
year; and 
‘‘(ii) such sums as may be necessary are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out paragraph (5)(A)(ii) 
for each of the fiscal years 2023 through 2033. 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—The amounts made 
available by subparagraph (A) for any fiscal year shall 
be available beginning on October 1 of that fiscal year, 
and shall remain available through September 30 of the 
succeeding fiscal year. 
‘‘(7) APPROPRIATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In addition to any funds appro-
priated under paragraph (6) and any funds made available 
for this section under any appropriations Act, there are 
authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated 
(out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated) to carry out this section, $1,170,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2023 and each subsequent award year. 
‘‘(B) NO EFFECT ON PREVIOUS APPROPRIATIONS.—The 
amendments made to this section by the FAFSA Simplifica-
tion Act shall not— 
‘‘(i) increase or decrease the amounts that have 
been appropriated or are available to carry out this 
section for fiscal year 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 
or 2022 as of the day before the effective date of 
such Act; or 
‘‘(ii) extend the period of availability for obligation 
that applied to any such amount, as of the day before 
such effective date. 
‘‘(C) AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—The amounts made 
available by this paragraph for any fiscal year shall be 
available beginning on October 1 of that fiscal year, and 
shall remain available through September 30 of the suc-
ceeding fiscal year. 
‘‘(8) METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year through fiscal 
year 2033, the Secretary shall pay to each eligible institu-
tion such sums as may be necessary to pay each eligible 
student for each academic year during which that student 
is in attendance at an institution of higher education as 
an undergraduate, a Federal Pell Grant in the amount 
for which that student is eligible. 
‘‘(B) ALTERNATIVE DISBURSEMENT.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be interpreted to prohibit the Secretary from 
paying directly to students, in advance of the beginning 
of the academic term, an amount for which they are eligible, 
in the cases where an eligible institution does not partici-
pate in the disbursement system under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(9) ADDITIONAL PAYMENT PERIODS IN SAME AWARD YEAR.— 
‘‘(A) Effective in the 2017–2018 award year and there-
after, the Secretary shall award an eligible student not 
more than one and one-half Federal Pell Grants during 
a single award year to permit such student to work toward 
completion of an eligible program if, during that single 
award year, the student has received a Federal Pell Grant 
for an award year and is enrolled in an eligible program
H. R. 133—2015 
for one or more additional payment periods during the 
same award year that are not otherwise fully covered by 
the student’s Federal Pell Grant. 
‘‘(B) In the case of a student receiving more than 
one Federal Pell Grant in a single award year under 
subparagraph (A), the total amount of Federal Pell Grants 
awarded to such student for the award year may exceed 
the total maximum Federal Pell Grant available for an 
award year. 
‘‘(C) Any period of study covered by a Federal Pell 
Grant awarded under subparagraph (A) shall be included 
in determining a student’s duration limit under subsection 
(d)(5). 
‘‘(D) In any case where an eligible student is receiving 
a Federal Pell Grant for a payment period that spans 
2 award years, the Secretary shall allow the eligible institu-
tion in which the student is enrolled to determine the 
award year to which the additional period shall be assigned, 
as it determines is most beneficial to students. 
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A student described in paragraph (2) 
shall be eligible for the total maximum Federal Pell Grant. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (1) shall apply to any 
dependent or independent student— 
‘‘(A) who is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant 
according to subsection (b)(1) for the award year for which 
the determination is made; 
‘‘(B) whose parent or guardian was— 
‘‘(i) an individual who, on or after September 11, 
2001, died in the line of duty while serving on active 
duty as a member of the Armed Forces; or 
‘‘(ii) actively serving as a public safety officer and 
died in the line of duty while performing as a public 
safety officer; and 
‘‘(C) who is less than 33 years of age. 
‘‘(3) INFORMATION.—Notwithstanding any other provision 
of law— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary shall establish the necessary data- 
sharing agreements with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
and the Secretary of Defense, as applicable, to provide 
the information necessary to determine which students 
meet the requirements of paragraph (2)(B)(i); and 
‘‘(B) the financial aid administrator shall verify with 
the student that the student is eligible for the adjustment 
and notify the Secretary of the adjustment of the student’s 
eligibility. 
‘‘(4) TREATMENT OF PELL AMOUNT.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 1212 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10302), in the case of a student who 
receives an increased Federal Pell Grant amount under this 
section, the total amount of such Federal Pell Grant, including 
the increase under this subsection, shall not be considered 
in calculating that student’s educational assistance benefits 
under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program under sub-
part 2 of part L of title I of such Act. 
‘‘(5) DEFINITION OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER.—For purposes 
of this subsection, the term ‘public safety officer’ means—
H. R. 133—2016 
‘‘(A) a public safety officer, as defined in section 1204 
of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284); or 
‘‘(B) a fire police officer, defined as an individual who— 
‘‘(i) is serving in accordance with State or local 
law as an officially recognized or designated member 
of a legally organized public safety agency; 
‘‘(ii) is not a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, 
a chaplain, or a member of a rescue squad or ambu-
lance crew; and 
‘‘(iii) provides scene security or directs traffic— 
‘‘(I) in response to any fire drill, fire call, or 
other fire, rescue, or police emergency; or 
‘‘(II) at a planned special event. 
‘‘(d) PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The period during which a student may 
receive Federal Pell Grants shall be the period required for 
the completion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate course 
of study being pursued by that student at the institution at 
which the student is in attendance, except that any period 
during which the student is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial 
course of study, as described in paragraph (2), shall not be 
counted for the purpose of this paragraph. 
‘‘(2) NONCREDIT OR REMEDIAL COURSES; STUDY ABROAD.— 
Nothing in this section shall exclude from eligibility courses 
of study which are noncredit or remedial in nature (including 
courses in English language instruction) which are determined 
by the institution to be necessary to help the student be pre-
pared for the pursuit of a first undergraduate baccalaureate 
degree or certificate or, in the case of courses in English lan-
guage instruction, to be necessary to enable the student to 
use already existing knowledge, training, or skills. Nothing 
in this section shall exclude from eligibility programs of study 
abroad that are approved for credit by the home institution 
at which the student is enrolled. 
‘‘(3) NO CONCURRENT PAYMENTS.—No student is entitled 
to receive Pell Grant payments concurrently from more than 
one institution or from both the Secretary and an institution. 
‘‘(4) 
POSTBACCALAUREATE
PROGRAM.—Notwithstanding 
paragraph (1), the Secretary may allow, on a case-by-case basis, 
a student to receive a Federal Pell Grant if the student— 
‘‘(A) is carrying at least one-half the normal full-time 
work load for the course of study the student is pursuing, 
as determined by the institution of higher education; and 
‘‘(B) is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a 
postbaccalaureate program that does not lead to a graduate 
degree, and in courses required by a State in order for 
the student to receive a professional certification or 
licensing credential that is required for employment as 
a teacher in an elementary school or secondary school 
in that State, 
except that this paragraph shall not apply to a student who 
is enrolled in an institution of higher education that offers 
a baccalaureate degree in education. 
‘‘(5) MAXIMUM PERIOD.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), the period during which a student may receive Federal
H. R. 133—2017 
Pell Grants shall not exceed 12 semesters, or the equivalent 
of 12 semesters, as determined by the Secretary by regula-
tion. Such regulations shall provide, with respect to a stu-
dent who received a Federal Pell Grant for a term but 
was enrolled at a fraction of full time, that only that 
same fraction of such semester or equivalent shall count 
towards such duration limits. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Any Federal Pell Grant that a 
student received during a period described in subclause 
(I) or (II) of clause (ii) shall not count towards the 
student’s duration limits under this paragraph. 
‘‘(ii) APPLICABLE PERIODS.—Clause (i) shall apply 
with respect to any Federal Pell Grant awarded to 
a student to enroll in an eligible program at an institu-
tion— 
‘‘(I) during a period of a student’s attendance 
at an institution— 
‘‘(aa) at which the student was unable 
to complete a course of study due to the closing 
of the institution; or 
‘‘(bb) for which the student was falsely 
certified as eligible for Federal aid under this 
title; or 
‘‘(II) during a period— 
‘‘(aa) for which the student received a loan 
under this title; and 
‘‘(bb) for which the loan described in item 
(aa) is discharged under— 
‘‘(AA) section 437(c)(1) or section 
464(g)(1); 
‘‘(BB) section 432(a)(6); or 
‘‘(CC) section 455(h) due to the stu-
dent’s successful assertion of a defense to 
repayment of the loan, including defenses 
provided to any applicable groups of stu-
dents. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) DEADLINES.—The Secretary shall from time to time 
set dates by which students shall file the Free Application 
for Federal Student Aid under section 483. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—Each student desiring a Federal Pell 
Grant for any year shall file the Free Application for Federal 
Student Aid containing the information necessary to enable 
the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities 
of this subpart. 
‘‘(f) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS TO STUDENTS.—Payments under 
this section shall be made in accordance with regulations promul-
gated by the Secretary for such purpose, in such manner as will 
best accomplish the purpose of this section. Any disbursement 
allowed to be made by crediting the student’s account shall be 
limited to tuition and fees, and food and housing if that food 
and housing is institutionally owned or operated. The student may 
elect to have the institution provide other such goods and services 
by crediting the student’s account. 
‘‘(g) INSUFFICIENT APPROPRIATIONS.—If, for any fiscal year, the 
funds appropriated for payments under this subpart are insufficient