I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5926 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to adjust the period of eligibility 
for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 
Mr. GROTHMAN 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 adjust 
the period of eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, 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 ‘‘Pell Grant Moderniza-
tion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL PELL GRANTS. 
(a) 10-SEMESTER PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) AWARD YEARS PRIOR TO AWARD YEAR 2023– 
2024.—Section 401(c)(5) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by 
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striking ‘‘12 semesters’’ both places it appears and 
inserting ‘‘10 semesters’’. 
(2) AWARD
YEAR
2023–2024
AND
EACH
SUC-
CEEDING
AWARD
YEAR.—Section 401(d)(5)(A) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a(c)(5)(A)), as amended by the FAFSA Sim-
plification Act (title VII of division FF of Public 
Law 116–260), is further amended by striking ‘‘12 
semesters’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘10 
semesters’’. 
(b) FULL-TIME STUDENT.—Subparagraph (A) of 
section 481(a)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1088(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(2)(A) For the purpose of any program under 
this title, the term academic year shall— 
‘‘(i) require— 
‘‘(I) a minimum of 30 weeks of in-
structional time for a course of study that 
measures its program length in credit 
hours; or 
‘‘(II) a minimum of 26 weeks of in-
structional time for a course of study that 
measures its program length in clock 
hours; 
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‘‘(ii) require an undergraduate course of 
study to contain an amount of instructional 
time whereby a full-time student is expected to 
complete at least— 
‘‘(I) 30 semester or trimester hours or 
45 quarter credit hours in a course of 
study that measures its program length in 
credit hours; or 
‘‘(II) 1,125 clock hours in a course of 
study that measures its program length in 
clock hours; 
‘‘(iii) require an undergraduate course of 
study to contain an amount of instructional 
time whereby a 3⁄4-time student is expected to 
complete at least— 
‘‘(I) 22 semester or trimester hours or 
33 credit hours in a course of study that 
measures its program length in credit 
hours; or 
‘‘(II) 825 clock hours in a course of 
study that measures its program length in 
clock hours; 
‘‘(iv) require an undergraduate course of 
study to contain an amount of instructional 
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time whereby a 1⁄2-time student is expected to 
complete at least— 
‘‘(I) 14 semester or trimester hours or 
21 credit hours in a course of study that 
measures its program length in credit 
hours; or 
‘‘(II) 525 clock hours in a course of 
study that measures its program length in 
clock hours; and 
‘‘(v) require an undergraduate course of 
study to contain an amount of instructional 
time whereby a less than 1⁄2-time student is ex-
pected to complete less than— 
‘‘(I) 14 semester or trimester hours or 
21 credit hours in a course of study that 
measures its program length in credit 
hours; or 
‘‘(II) 525 clock hours in a course of 
study that measures its program in clock 
hours.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsections (a)(1) and (b) shall take effect on July 1, 
2022. 
Æ 
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