I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4216 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase support for working 
students, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 30, 2019 
Mr. DELGADO
(for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. VAN
DREW, and Mr. 
FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase 
support for working students, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Finan-
cial Aid for Students Act (Strengthening FAFSA)’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASING SUPPORT FOR WORKING STUDENTS 
BY 35 PERCENT. 
(a) DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—Section 475(g)(2)(D) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087oo(g)(2)(D)) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(D) an income protection allowance (or a 
successor amount prescribed by the Secretary 
under section 478) of $9,230 for award year 
2020–2021;’’. 
(b) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITHOUT DEPEND-
ENTS OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 476 of such Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1087pp) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘‘award pe-
riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(iv) an income protection allowance 
(or a successor amount prescribed by the 
Secretary under section 478)— 
‘‘(I) for single or separated stu-
dents, or married students where both 
are enrolled pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2), of $14,360 for award year 
2020–2021; and 
‘‘(II) for married students where 
one is enrolled pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2), of $23,030 for award year 
2020–2021;’’. 
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(c) INDEPENDENT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENTS 
OTHER THAN A SPOUSE.—Section 477 of such Act (20 
U.S.C. 1087qq) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘award pe-
riod’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (b)(4) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(4) INCOME
PROTECTION
ALLOWANCE.—The 
income protection allowance is determined by the fol-
lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 
Secretary under section 478), for award year 2020– 
2021: 
‘‘Income Protection Allowance 
Family 
Size 
Number in College 
(including 
student) 
For each 
additional 
subtract: 
$36,370 
$30,160 
$6,180
45,290 
39,100 
$32,890 
55,920 
49,720 
43,540 
$37,300 
65,990 
59,750 
53,570 
47,360 
$41,180 
77,170 
70,960 
64,790 
58,540 
52,350 
For each 
additional 
add: 
8,710 
’’. 
(d) UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS.—Section 478 
of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087rr) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each award year 
after award year 2020–2021, the Secretary 
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shall publish in the Federal Register a revised 
table of income protection allowances for the 
purpose of sections 475(c)(4) and 477(b)(4), 
subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C). 
‘‘(B) TABLE
FOR
INDEPENDENT
STU-
DENTS.—For each award year after award year 
2020–2021, the Secretary shall develop the re-
vised table of income protection allowances by 
increasing each of the dollar amounts contained 
in the table of income protection allowances 
under section 477(b)(4) by a percentage equal 
to the estimated percentage increase in the 
Consumer Price Index (as determined by the 
Secretary for the most recent calendar year 
ending prior to the beginning of the award year 
for which the determination is being made), and 
rounding the result up to the nearest $10.’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘academic year after academic year 2007– 
2008’’ and inserting ‘‘award year after 
award year 2020–2021’’; and 
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘shall be developed’’ and all that follows 
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through the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘shall be developed for each award 
year after award year 2020–2021, by in-
creasing each of the dollar amounts con-
tained in such section for award year 
2020–2021 by a percentage equal to the 
estimated percentage increase in the Con-
sumer Price Index (as determined by the 
Secretary for the most recent calendar 
year ending prior to the beginning of the 
award year for which the determination is 
being made), and rounding the result up to 
the nearest $10.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘academic 
year’’ and inserting ‘‘award year’’. 
SEC. 3. RAISING THE TOTAL SEMESTERS OF FEDERAL PELL 
GRANT ELIGIBILITY. 
Section 401(c)(5)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking 
‘‘12’’ each place the term appears and inserting ‘‘14’’. 
Æ 
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