I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2084 
To improve the Federal Pell Grant program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2017 
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD (for herself, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. KILMER, and Mr. 
CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To improve the Federal Pell Grant program, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Year-Round Pell Grant 
Restoration Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Congressional Budget Office reports on 
any overall financial surplus or shortfall in the fund-
ing provided for the Federal Pell Grant program. 
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However, in recent years, in order to meet the max-
imum Federal Pell Grant level with the provided 
level of funding, Congress has made cuts to the pro-
gram through imposing additional eligibility require-
ments for Federal Pell Grants and limiting the avail-
ability of year-round Federal Pell Grants, causing 
significant uncertainty and reducing access to higher 
education for millions of hardworking college stu-
dents. 
(2) The ‘‘traditional student’’ who attends col-
lege for 4 years immediately after high school is now 
a minority of college students today. Ambitious stu-
dents now need more flexibility to attend school 
year-round while juggling work schedules. 
(3) Section 1860 of the Department of Defense 
and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 
(Public Law 112–10, 125 Stat. 169) eliminated the 
provision of the Federal Pell Grant program of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et 
seq.) that allowed more than 1 Federal Pell Grant 
awards per year, creating significant hardship for 
many students trying to take courses over the sum-
mer or outside the traditional school calendar. Al-
lowing students to continue to receive Federal Pell 
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Grants in successive semesters, without a gap, would 
reduce the time needed to complete their degrees. 
SEC. 3. YEAR-ROUND FEDERAL PELL GRANT STUDENTS. 
Section 401(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(8)(A) Effective for the 2018–2019 award year and 
each award year thereafter, the Secretary shall award an 
eligible student a total of not more than 11⁄2 Federal Pell 
Grants during a single award year to permit such student 
to work toward completion of an eligible program if, dur-
ing that single award year, the student— 
‘‘(i) has received a Federal Pell Grant for the 
award year and is enrolled in an eligible program 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; and 
‘‘(ii) is enrolled on at least a half-time basis 
while receiving any funds under this section. 
‘‘(B) In the case of a student receiving more than 
one Federal Pell Grant in a single award year under sub-
paragraph (A), the total amount of the Federal Pell 
Grants awarded to such student for the award year may 
exceed the maximum Federal Pell Grant available for an 
award year. 
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‘‘(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 
(c)(5). 
‘‘(9) 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 as-
signed, as it determines is most beneficial to the student.’’. 
Æ 
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