I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4608 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to create the Pell Plus program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 4, 2019 
Mr. KILMER (for himself, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, and Mr. PETERS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to create 
the Pell Plus 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 ‘‘Pell Plus Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. PELL PLUS PROGRAM. 
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: 
‘‘(9) PELL
PLUS
PROGRAM.—(A) For each 
award year for which a student receives a Federal 
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Pell Grant and meets the requirements of subpara-
graph (B), the Secretary shall award such student 
an additional Federal Pell Grant in an amount equal 
to the amount of the student’s Federal Pell Grant 
award determined under paragraph (2)(A) for such 
award year. 
‘‘(B) A student meets the requirements of this 
subparagraph, if the student— 
‘‘(i) during the award year during which 
the student receives the additional Federal Pell 
Grant under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(I) is enrolled in the student’s first 
undergraduate baccalaureate course of 
study at a Pell Plus institution; and 
‘‘(II) is maintaining progress toward 
completion of such course of study in not 
more than a total of 4 academic years; and 
‘‘(ii) has completed 4 semesters, or the 
equivalent, of such course of study. 
‘‘(C) The period during which a student re-
ceives an additional Federal Pell Grant under sub-
paragraph (A) shall be included in calculating the 
duration limits with respect to such student under 
subsection (c)(5), and to the extent that such period 
was a fraction of a semester or the equivalent, only 
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that same fraction of such semester or equivalent 
shall count towards such duration limits. 
‘‘(D) For purposes of this paragraph, a Pell 
Plus institution is an eligible institution for purposes 
of this subpart that— 
‘‘(i) notifies the Secretary that the institu-
tion desires to participate in the program under 
this paragraph; 
‘‘(ii) agrees to provide, to each student re-
ceiving an additional Federal Pell Grant under 
subparagraph (A), for each award year for 
which the student receives such additional Fed-
eral Pell Grant— 
‘‘(I) a notification about whether the 
student is maintaining the progress toward 
completion required under subparagraph 
(B)(i)(II); and 
‘‘(II) an amount of funds— 
‘‘(aa) equal to such additional 
Federal Pell Grant; and 
‘‘(bb) using the resources of the 
institution, such as— 
‘‘(AA) an institutional grant 
or scholarship; 
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‘‘(BB) through a tuition or 
fee waiver; or 
‘‘(CC) foundation or other 
charitable 
organization 
funds; 
and 
‘‘(iii) the Secretary determines meets the 
requirements of this subparagraph.’’. 
SEC. 3. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES. 
Section 485(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (U); and 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (V) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(W) in the case of an institution that is 
a Pell Plus institution under section 401(b)(9), 
any applicable information with respect to the 
institution’s participation in the program under 
such section.’’. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
with respect to award year 2020–2021 and each suc-
ceeding award year. 
Æ 
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