I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 413 
To establish an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 10, 2017 
Mrs. LAWRENCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment 
Program. 
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 ‘‘Early Pell Promise 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EARLY FEDERAL PELL GRANT COMMITMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
Subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 401B. EARLY FEDERAL PELL GRANT COMMITMENT 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to carry out an Early Federal Pell Grant Com-
mitment Program (referred to in this section as the ‘Pro-
gram’) under which the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) award grants to State educational agencies 
to pay the administrative expenses incurred in par-
ticipating in the Program; and 
‘‘(2) make a commitment to award Federal Pell 
Grants to eligible students in accordance with this 
section. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Program shall 
meet the following requirements: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A student shall be eli-
gible to receive a commitment from the Sec-
retary to receive a Federal Pell Grant early in 
the student’s academic career if the student— 
‘‘(i) is in 8th grade; and 
‘‘(ii) is eligible for a free or reduced 
price lunch under the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1751 et seq.). 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL PELL GRANT COMMITMENT.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), each eligible student who 
participates in the Program shall receive a com-
mitment from the Secretary to receive a Fed-
eral Pell Grant during the first 2 academic 
years that the student is in attendance at an in-
stitution of higher education as an under-
graduate student, if the student— 
‘‘(i) applies for Federal financial aid 
(via the FAFSA) during the student’s sen-
ior year of secondary school and during the 
succeeding academic year; and 
‘‘(ii) enrolls at such institution of 
higher education— 
‘‘(I) not later than 3 years after 
such student receives a secondary 
school diploma or its recognized equiv-
alent; or 
‘‘(II) if such student becomes a 
member of the Armed Forces (includ-
ing the National Guard or Reserves), 
not later than 3 years after such stu-
dent is discharged, separated, or re-
leased from the Armed Forces (includ-
ing the National Guard or Reserves). 
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‘‘(B) EXCEPTION TO COMMITMENT.—If an 
eligible student receives a commitment from the 
Secretary to receive a Federal Pell Grant dur-
ing the first 2 academic years that the student 
is in attendance at an institution of higher edu-
cation as an undergraduate student and the 
student applies for Federal financial aid (via 
the FAFSA) during the student’s senior year of 
secondary school or during the succeeding aca-
demic year, and the expected family contribu-
tion of the student for either of such years is 
more than 2 times the threshold amount for 
Federal Pell Grant eligibility for such year, 
then such student shall not receive a Federal 
Pell Grant under this section for the succeeding 
academic year. Such student shall continue to 
be eligible for any other Federal student finan-
cial aid for which the student is otherwise eligi-
ble. 
‘‘(3) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL PELL GRANT 
REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements of section 401 
shall apply to Federal Pell Grants awarded pursuant 
to this section, except that with respect to each eligi-
ble student who participates in the Program and is 
not subject to the exception under paragraph (2)(B), 
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the amount of each such eligible student’s Federal 
Pell Grant only shall be calculated by deeming such 
student to have an expected family contribution 
equal to zero. 
‘‘(c) 
STATE
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCY
APPLICA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each State educational 
agency desiring to participate in the Program shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(A) a description of the proposed targeted 
information campaign for the Program and a 
copy of the plan described in subsection (e)(2); 
‘‘(B) an assurance that the State edu-
cational agency will fully cooperate with the on-
going evaluation of the Program; and 
‘‘(C) such other information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
‘‘(d) EVALUATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts appro-
priated under subsection (f) for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall reserve not more than $1,000,000 to 
award a grant or contract to an organization outside 
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the Department for an independent evaluation of the 
impact of the Program. 
‘‘(2) COMPETITIVE BASIS.—The grant or con-
tract shall be awarded on a competitive basis. 
‘‘(3) MATTERS
EVALUATED.—The evaluation 
described in this subsection shall consider metrics 
established by the Secretary that emphasize college 
access and success, encouraging low-income students 
to pursue higher education, and the cost effective-
ness of the program. 
‘‘(4) DISSEMINATION.—The findings of the 
evaluation shall be widely disseminated to the public 
by the organization conducting the evaluation as well 
as by the Secretary. 
‘‘(e) TARGETED INFORMATION CAMPAIGN.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each State educational 
agency receiving a grant under this section shall, in 
cooperation with the participating local educational 
agencies within the State and the Secretary, develop 
a targeted information campaign for the Program. 
‘‘(2) PLAN.—Each State educational agency re-
ceiving a grant under this section shall include in 
the application submitted under subsection (c) a 
written plan for their proposed targeted information 
campaign. The plan shall include the following: 
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‘‘(A) OUTREACH.—Outreach to students 
and their families, at a minimum, at the begin-
ning and end of each academic year. 
‘‘(B) DISTRIBUTION.—How the State edu-
cational agency plans to provide the outreach 
described in subparagraph (A) and to provide 
the information described in subparagraph (C). 
‘‘(C) INFORMATION.—The annual provi-
sion by the State educational agency to all stu-
dents and families participating in the Program 
of information regarding— 
‘‘(i) the estimated statewide average 
higher education institution cost data for 
each academic year, which cost data shall 
be disaggregated by— 
‘‘(I) type of institution, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(aa) 2-year public colleges; 
‘‘(bb) 4-year public colleges; 
‘‘(cc) 4-year private colleges; 
and 
‘‘(dd) private, for-profit col-
leges; and 
‘‘(II) component, including— 
‘‘(aa) tuition and fees; and 
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‘‘(bb) room and board; 
‘‘(ii) Federal Pell Grants, including— 
‘‘(I) the maximum Federal Pell 
Grant for each academic year; 
‘‘(II) when and how to apply for 
a Federal Pell Grant; and 
‘‘(III) what the application proc-
ess for a Federal Pell Grant requires; 
‘‘(iii) State-specific college savings 
programs; 
‘‘(iv) State-based financial aid, includ-
ing State-based merit aid; and 
‘‘(v) Federal financial aid available to 
students, including eligibility criteria for 
the Federal financial aid and an expla-
nation of the Federal financial aid pro-
grams. 
‘‘(3) ANNUAL INFORMATION.—The information 
described in paragraph (2)(C) shall be provided to 
eligible students annually for the duration of the 
students’ participation in the Program. 
‘‘(4) RESERVATION.—Each State educational 
agency receiving a grant under this section shall re-
serve $200,000 of the grant funds received each fis-
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cal year to carry out the targeted information cam-
paign described in this subsection. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary.’’. 
Æ 
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