I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4680 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify the financial aid 
application process, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 15, 2019 
Mr. DOGGETT (for himself, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BLU-
MENAUER, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CART-
WRIGHT, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. 
COHEN, Ms. DEAN, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DESAULNIER, 
Mr. ENGEL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. 
GARAMENDI, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, 
Ms. HAALAND, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, 
Mr. HIMES, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, 
Mr. KILMER, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. 
LEE of California, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. SEAN PAT-
RICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MOORE, 
Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. RYAN, 
Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SEWELL of Ala-
bama, Mr. SOTO, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. THOMP-
SON of California, Ms. TITUS, Mr. TONKO, Mr. WELCH, Mr. LUJA´N, Ms. 
ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Mr. KENNEDY) 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 simplify 
the financial aid application process, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equitable Student Aid 
Access Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ZERO EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. 
Section 479 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087ss) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 479. ZERO EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall consider an 
applicant to have an expected family contribution equal 
to zero if— 
‘‘(1) in the case of a dependent student— 
‘‘(A)(i) the student’s parents are not re-
quired to file— 
‘‘(I) a Federal income tax return; or 
‘‘(II) with respect to Internal Revenue 
Service Form 1040, any of the following 
forms: Schedule A, Schedule B, Schedule 
C, Schedule C–EZ, Schedule D, Schedule 
E, Schedule F, Schedule H, Schedule J, 
and Schedule SE; and 
‘‘(ii) the sum of the adjusted gross income 
of the parents is less than or equal to $34,000; 
or 
‘‘(B) the student’s parents, or the student, 
received a benefit at some time during the pre-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
vious 24-month period under a means-tested 
Federal benefit program; or 
‘‘(2) in the case of an independent student 
without regard to whether the student has depend-
ents other than a spouse— 
‘‘(A)(i) the student (and the student’s 
spouse, if any) certifies— 
‘‘(I) that the student (and the stu-
dent’s spouse, if any)— 
‘‘(aa) is not required to file a 
Federal income tax return; or 
‘‘(bb) with respect to Internal 
Revenue Service Form 1040, any of 
the following forms: Schedule A, 
Schedule B, Schedule C, Schedule C– 
EZ, Schedule D, Schedule E, Sched-
ule F, Schedule H, Schedule J, and 
Schedule SE; and 
‘‘(ii) the sum of the adjusted gross income 
of the student and spouse (if appropriate) is 
less than or equal to $34,000; or 
‘‘(B) the student received a benefit at some 
time during the previous 24-month period 
under a means-tested Federal benefit program. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(b) EARNED INCOME CREDIT.—An individual is not 
required to qualify or file for the earned income credit in 
order to be eligible under this section. 
‘‘(c) ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall annually 
adjust the income level necessary to qualify an applicant 
for the zero expected family contribution. The income level 
shall be annually increased by the estimated percentage 
change in the Consumer Price Index, as defined in section 
478(f), for the most recent calendar year ending prior to 
the beginning of an award year, and rounded up to the 
nearest $1,000. 
‘‘(d) MEANS-TESTED FEDERAL BENEFIT PROGRAM 
DEFINED.—For purposes of this paragraph, a ‘means- 
tested Federal benefit program’ means a mandatory 
spending program of the Federal Government, other than 
a program under this title, in which eligibility for the pro-
gram’s benefits, or the amount of such benefits, are deter-
mined on the basis of income or resources of the individual 
or family seeking the benefit, and may include such pro-
grams as— 
‘‘(1) the supplemental security income program 
under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 
‘‘(2) the supplemental nutrition assistance pro-
gram under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), a nutrition assistance program 
carried out under section 19 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 
2028), and a supplemental nutrition assistance pro-
gram carried out under section 1841(c) of title 48 
of the United States Code; 
‘‘(3) the program of block grants for States for 
temporary assistance for needy families established 
under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 
‘‘(4) the special supplemental nutrition program 
for women, infants, and children established by sec-
tion 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1786); 
‘‘(5) the State Medicaid program under title 
XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.); and 
‘‘(6) any other program identified by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
SEC. 3. USING DATA FROM SECOND PRECEDING YEAR. 
Section 480(a)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(a)(1)(B)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘may’’ in both places it appears 
and inserting ‘‘shall’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(2) by striking ‘‘sharing of data between’’ and 
inserting ‘‘sharing of data, to the extent such data 
is available, between’’. 
SEC. 4. FINANCIAL AID OFFERS. 
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1092) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(n) FINANCIAL AID OFFERS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFERS.— 
‘‘(A) SECRETARIAL REQUIREMENTS.—Not 
later than 18 months after the date of enact-
ment of the Equitable Student Aid Access Act, 
the Secretary shall, based on the consumer test-
ing conducted under subparagraph (E), publish 
requirements for financial aid offers that 
shall— 
‘‘(i) include a requirement that finan-
cial aid offers shall serve as the primary 
source for Federal, State, and institutional 
financial aid information provided by an 
institution of higher education partici-
pating in any program under this title to 
each prospective student accepted for ad-
mission and each enrolled student at such 
institution; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(IV) in a case in which the in-
stitution offers a student such a loan 
in an amount that is less than the 
maximum amount for which the stu-
dent is eligible, an explanation that 
the student is eligible for additional 
loans under part D. 
‘‘(B) INSTITUTIONAL
REQUIREMENTS.— 
Beginning with the award year that begins not 
less than 1 year after the Secretary publishes 
requirements under subparagraph (A), each in-
stitution of higher education described in sub-
paragraph (A)(i) shall provide a financial aid 
offer to each student described in such subpara-
graph prior to each academic year that— 
‘‘(i) shall comply with the require-
ments published by the Secretary under 
subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) may be supplemented by the in-
stitution with additional, non-contradictory 
information related to financial aid as long 
as such supplementary information uses 
the standardized terms and definitions de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)(iii). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(C) ELEMENTS.—A financial aid offer 
provided by an institution of higher education 
shall include the following elements with respect 
to the academic year for which the offer is 
being provided: 
‘‘(i) The cost of attendance, which 
shall include separately calculated sub-
totals of— 
‘‘(I) an itemized list of estimated 
direct costs owed to the institution; 
and 
‘‘(II) an itemized list of antici-
pated student expenses not covered 
under subclause (I). 
‘‘(ii) Federal, State, and institutional 
financial aid available to the student, 
which shall include separately calculated 
subtotals of— 
‘‘(I) grants and scholarships; 
‘‘(II) loans made under part D 
(excluding 
Federal 
Direct 
Parent 
PLUS Loans); and 
‘‘(III) Federal-work study pro-
grams under part C and other on- 
campus employment. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iii) Other options that may be avail-
able to students to cover the cost of at-
tendance (including Federal Direct Parent 
PLUS Loans, tuition payment plans, sav-
ings, and earnings from other employ-
ment). 
‘‘(iv) The net price, which shall be de-
termined by calculating the difference be-
tween— 
‘‘(I) the cost of attendance de-
scribed in clause (i); and 
‘‘(II) the grants and scholarships 
described in clause (ii)(I). 
‘‘(v) Next step instructions, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(I) the process and deadlines for 
accepting the financial aid; and 
‘‘(II) information about where to 
find additional information on the fi-
nancial aid offered. 
‘‘(vi) Any other information deter-
mined necessary by the Secretary based on 
the consumer testing conducted under sub-
paragraph (E), which may include the fol-
lowing: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(I) An estimate of the net direct 
cost, which shall be determined by cal-
culating the difference between— 
‘‘(aa) the direct costs owed 
to the institution described in 
clause (i)(I); and 
‘‘(bb) the grants and schol-
arships described in clause (ii)(I). 
‘‘(II) Information on average stu-
dent debt, loan repayment and default 
rates, loan repayment options, and 
graduation rates. 
‘‘(III) In the case of a prospec-
tive student, the process and deadlines 
for enrolling at the institution. 
‘‘(IV) Information regarding the 
enrollment period covered by the aid 
offer, and whether the cost and aid 
estimates are based on full-time or 
part-time enrollment. 
‘‘(V) Information developed in 
consultation with the Internal Rev-
enue Service regarding any education- 
related tax benefits for which a stu-
dent may qualify, including American 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Opportunity and Lifetime Learning 
tax credits, deductions, exclusions, 
and any other such benefits. 
‘‘(D) STANDARDIZED
QUICK
REFERENCE 
BOX.—A financial aid offer provided by an in-
stitution of higher education shall include a 
standardized quick reference box to enable stu-
dents to quickly and easily compare key infor-
mation on college costs and financial aid— 
‘‘(i) that shall be included in an iden-
tical fashion for each student receiving a 
financial aid offer from the institution on 
the first page of such offer; 
‘‘(ii) the contents and structure of 
which shall be developed through consumer 
testing conducted under paragraph (E); 
and 
‘‘(iii) that shall include not more than 
8 elements, which, at a minimum, shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) the cost of attendance; 
‘‘(II) grants and scholarships; 
and 
‘‘(III) net price (as calculated 
under subparagraph (C)(iv)). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(E) CONSUMER TESTING.—The Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(i) conduct consumer testing that 
shall serve as the basis in determining the 
requirements for financial aid offers pub-
lished under subparagraph (A), which shall 
include students (including low-income stu-
dents, English learners, first generation 
college students, veteran students, grad-
uate students, and undergraduate students 
(including prospective students and return-
ing students)), students’ families (includ-
ing low-income families, families of English 
learners, and families with first generation 
college students), institutions of higher 
education (including representatives from 
two- and four-year institutions, public and 
private institutions, and minority-serving 
institutions), secondary school and postsec-
ondary counselors, financial aid adminis-
trators, nonprofit college access organiza-
tions, and nonprofit consumer groups; and 
‘‘(ii) not later than 60 days after the 
publication of the requirements under sub-
paragraph (A)— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(I) issue a report on the find-
ings of the consumer testing under 
this subparagraph; and 
‘‘(II) specify ways in which the 
findings are reflected in such require-
ments. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘cost of attendance’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 472; 
‘‘(B) the term ‘English learner’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 8101(20) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(20)), except that such 
term does not include individuals described in 
subparagraph (B) of such section; 
‘‘(C) the term ‘first generation college stu-
dent’ has the meaning given the term in section 
402A(h); 
‘‘(D) the term ‘low-income student’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 419N(b)(7); 
and 
‘‘(E) the term ‘minority-serving institution’ 
means an institution of higher education de-
scribed in section 371(a).’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to award years (as that term is defined in section 
481(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1088(a)(1))) beginning after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:06 Oct 22, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4680.IH
H4680
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS