I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5550 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum 
Federal Pell Grant amount, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2018 
Mr. DEFAZIO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase 
the maximum Federal Pell Grant amount, 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 section may be cited as the ‘‘Achieving Inde-
pendence through Degrees Act’’ or the ‘‘AID Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
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TITLE I—ADJUSTMENTS TO FEDERAL PELL GRANTS 
Sec. 101. Increase in maximum Federal Pell Grant amount. 
Sec. 102. Increase in total semesters of Federal Pell Grant eligibility. 
Sec. 103. Extending Federal Pell Grant eligibility of certain short-term pro-
grams. 
TITLE II—FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING FOR BORROWERS 
Sec. 201. Annual financial aid counseling. 
Sec. 202. Exit counseling. 
Sec. 203. Online counseling tools. 
Sec. 204. Longitudinal study on the effectiveness of student loan counseling. 
TITLE III—REPEAL OF SUSPENSION OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE 
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 FOR GRANTS, LOANS, AND 
WORK ASSISTANCE FOR DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES 
Sec. 301. Repeal. 
Sec. 302. Revision of FAFSA form. 
TITLE IV—FINANCIAL AID SHOPPING SHEET 
Sec. 401. Secretarial requirements. 
Sec. 402. Requirements for institutions of higher education. 
TITLE V—SNAP AND HIGHER EDUCATION 
Sec. 501. SNAP treatment of living expenses included in educational loans. 
Sec. 502. Eligibility of students to participate in the supplemental nutrition as-
sistance program. 
TITLE I—ADJUSTMENTS TO 
FEDERAL PELL GRANTS 
SEC. 101. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM FEDERAL PELL GRANT 
AMOUNT. 
Section 401(b)(7)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)(7)(C)) is amended by striking 
clauses (ii) and (iii) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) AWARD
YEAR
2019–2020.—For 
award year 2019–2020, the amount deter-
mined under this subparagraph for pur-
poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be in-
creased to $9,970. 
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‘‘(iii) SUBSEQUENT AWARD YEARS.— 
For award year 2020–2021 and each sub-
sequent award year, the amount deter-
mined under this subparagraph for pur-
poses of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be 
equal to— 
‘‘(I) 
the 
amount 
determined 
under this subparagraph for the pre-
ceding award year; increased by 
‘‘(II) a percentage equal to the 
annual adjustment percentage for the 
award year for which the amount 
under this subparagraph is being de-
termined; and 
‘‘(III) rounded to the nearest 
$5.’’. 
SEC. 102. INCREASE IN TOTAL SEMESTERS OF FEDERAL 
PELL GRANT ELIGIBILITY. 
Section 401(c)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking 
‘‘12’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘15’’. 
SEC. 103. EXTENDING FEDERAL PELL GRANT ELIGIBILITY 
OF CERTAIN SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 401 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a), as amended by sec-
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tion 4, is further amended by inserting after subsection 
(j) the following: 
‘‘(k) JOB TRAINING FEDERAL PELL GRANT PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE
CAREER
PATHWAY
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘eligible career pathway pro-
gram’ means a program that— 
‘‘(i) meets the requirements of section 
484(d)(2); 
‘‘(ii) is a program of training services 
listed under included on the list established 
under section 122(d) of the Workforce In-
novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3152(d)); and 
‘‘(iii) is part of a career pathway, as 
defined in section 3 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102). 
‘‘(B) JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.—The term 
‘job training program’ means a career and tech-
nical education program at an institution of 
higher education that— 
‘‘(i) provides not less than 150, and 
not more than 600, clock hours of instruc-
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tional time over a period of not less than 
8, and not more than 15, weeks; 
‘‘(ii) provides training aligned with 
the requirements of employers in the State 
or local area, which may include in-demand 
industry sectors or occupations, as defined 
in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102), in 
the State or local area (as defined in such 
section); 
‘‘(iii) is a program of training services 
that is provided through an eligible pro-
vider of training services listed under sec-
tion 122(d) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
3152(d)); 
‘‘(iv) provides a student, upon comple-
tion of the program, with a recognized 
postsecondary credential, as defined in sec-
tion 3 of such Act, that is recognized by 
employers in the relevant industry, includ-
ing credentials recognized by industry or 
sector partnerships in the State or local 
area where the industry is located; 
‘‘(v) has been determined, by the in-
stitution of higher education, to provide 
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academic content, an amount of instruc-
tional time, and a recognized postsec-
ondary credential that are sufficient to— 
‘‘(I) meet the hiring requirements 
of potential employers; and 
‘‘(II) satisfy any applicable edu-
cational prerequisite requirement for 
professional licensure or certification, 
so that the student who completes the 
program and seeks employment quali-
fies to take any licensure or certifi-
cation examination needed to practice 
or find employment in an occupation 
that the program prepares students to 
enter; 
‘‘(vi) may include integrated or basic 
skills courses; and 
‘‘(vii) may be offered as part of an eli-
gible career pathway program. 
‘‘(2) GRANT
PROGRAM.—For the award year 
beginning on July 1, 2019, and each subsequent 
award year, the Secretary shall carry out a program 
through which the Secretary shall award job training 
Federal Pell Grants to students in job training pro-
grams. Each job training Federal Pell Grant award-
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ed under this subsection shall have the same terms 
and conditions, and be awarded in the same manner, 
as a Federal Pell Grant awarded under subsection 
(a), except as follows: 
‘‘(A) A student who is eligible to receive a 
job training Federal Pell Grant under this sub-
section is a student who— 
‘‘(i) has not yet attained a bacca-
laureate degree or postbaccalaureate de-
gree; 
‘‘(ii) attends an institution of higher 
education; 
‘‘(iii) is enrolled, or accepted for en-
rollment, in a job training program at such 
institution of higher education; and 
‘‘(iv) meets all other eligibility re-
quirements for a Federal Pell Grant (ex-
cept with respect to the type of program of 
study, as provided in clause (iii)). 
‘‘(B) The amount of a job training Federal 
Pell Grant for an eligible student shall be deter-
mined under subsection (b)(1), except that— 
‘‘(i) the maximum Federal Pell Grant 
awarded under this subsection for an 
award year shall be 50 percent of the max-
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imum Federal Pell Grant awarded under 
subsection (b)(5) applicable to that award 
year; and 
‘‘(ii) subsection (b)(4) shall not apply. 
‘‘(3) INCLUSION
IN
TOTAL
ELIGIBILITY
PE-
RIOD.—Any period during which a student receives 
a job training Federal Pell Grant under this sub-
section shall be included in calculating the student’s 
period of eligibility for Federal Pell Grants under 
subsection (c), and any regulations under such sub-
section regarding students who are enrolled in an 
undergraduate program on less than a full-time 
basis shall similarly apply to students who are en-
rolled in a job training program at an eligible insti-
tution on less than a full-time basis.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS.—Section 496(a)(4) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1099b(a)(4)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) if such agency or association has or 
seeks to include within its scope of recognition 
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the evaluation of the quality of institutions of 
higher education participating in the job train-
ing Federal Pell Grant program under section 
401(k), such agency or association shall, in ad-
dition to meeting the other requirements of this 
subpart, demonstrate to the Secretary that, 
with respect to such job training programs— 
‘‘(i) the agency or association’s stand-
ards include a process for determining 
whether the program provides training 
aligned with the requirements of employers 
in the State or local area served by the 
program; and 
‘‘(ii) the agency or association re-
quires a demonstration that the program— 
‘‘(I) has identified each recog-
nized postsecondary credential offered 
and the corresponding industry or sec-
tor partnership that actively recog-
nizes each credential in the relevant 
industry in the State or local area 
where the industry is located; and 
‘‘(II) provides the academic con-
tent and amount of instructional time 
that is sufficient to— 
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‘‘(aa) meet the hiring re-
quirements of potential employ-
ers; and 
‘‘(bb) satisfy any applicable 
educational prerequisites for pro-
fessional licensure or certification 
requirements so that the student 
who completes the program and 
seeks employment qualifies to 
take any licensure or certification 
examination that is needed to 
practice or find employment in 
an occupation that the program 
prepares students to enter;’’. 
TITLE II—FINANCIAL AID 
COUNSELING FOR BORROWERS 
SEC. 201. ANNUAL FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING. 
Section 485(l) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092(l)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(l) ANNUAL FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL DISCLOSURE REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible institu-
tion shall ensure that each individual who re-
ceives a loan made under part D (other than a 
Federal Direct Consolidation Loan) receives 
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comprehensive information on the terms and 
conditions of such loan and the responsibilities 
the individual has with respect to such loan. 
Such information shall be provided, for each 
award year for which the individual receives 
such loan, in a simple and understandable man-
ner— 
‘‘(i) during a counseling session con-
ducted in person; 
‘‘(ii) online, with the individual ac-
knowledging receipt of the information; or 
‘‘(iii) through the use of the online 
counseling tool described in subsection 
(k)(1)(B). 
‘‘(B) USE OF INTERACTIVE PROGRAMS.— 
In the case of institutions not using the online 
counseling 
tool 
described 
in 
subsection 
(k)(1)(B), the Secretary shall require such in-
stitutions to carry out the requirements of sub-
paragraph (A) through the use of interactive 
programs, during an annual counseling session 
that is in-person or online, that test the individ-
ual’s understanding of the terms and conditions 
of the loan awarded to the individual, using 
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simple and understandable language and clear 
formatting. 
‘‘(2) ALL INDIVIDUALS.—The information to be 
provided under paragraph (1)(A) to each individual 
receiving counseling under this subsection shall in-
clude the following: 
‘‘(A) An explanation of how the individual 
may budget for typical educational expenses 
and a sample budget based on the cost of at-
tendance for the institution. 
‘‘(B) An explanation that an individual has 
a right to annually request a disclosure of infor-
mation collected by a consumer reporting agen-
cy pursuant to section 612(a) of the Fair Credit 
Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681j(a)). 
‘‘(C) Based on the most recent data avail-
able from the American Community Survey 
available from the Department of Commerce, 
the estimated average income and percentage of 
employment in the State of domicile of the indi-
vidual for individuals with— 
‘‘(i) a high school diploma or equiva-
lent; 
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‘‘(ii) some post-secondary education 
without completion of a degree or certifi-
cate; and 
‘‘(iii) a bachelor’s degree. 
‘‘(D) An introduction to the financial man-
agement resources provided by the Financial 
Literacy and Education Commission. 
‘‘(3) BORROWERS
RECEIVING
LOANS
MADE 
UNDER
PART
D
(OTHER
THAN
PARENT
PLUS 
LOANS).—The information to be provided under 
paragraph (1)(A) to a borrower of a loan made 
under part D (other than a Federal Direct PLUS 
Loan made on behalf of a dependent student) shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(A) To the extent practicable, the effect 
of accepting the loan to be disbursed on the eli-
gibility of the borrower for other forms of stu-
dent financial assistance. 
‘‘(B) An explanation of the use of the mas-
ter promissory note. 
‘‘(C) An explanation that the borrower is 
not required to accept the full amount of the 
loan offered to the borrower. 
‘‘(D) An explanation that the borrower 
should consider accepting any grant, scholar-
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which the application for such loan is 
approved and the borrower receives 
the required disclosure documents, 
pursuant to section 128(e) of the 
Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 
1638(e)); and 
‘‘(II) to cancel such loan within 3 
business days of the date on which the 
loan is consummated, pursuant to sec-
tion 128(e)(7) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
1638(e)(7)). 
‘‘(F) An explanation of the approved edu-
cational expenses for which the borrower may 
use a loan made under part D. 
‘‘(G) Information on the annual and aggre-
gate loan limits for Federal Direct Stafford 
Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf-
ford Loans. 
‘‘(H) Information on how interest accrues 
and is capitalized during periods when the in-
terest is not paid by either the borrower or the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(I) In the case of a Federal Direct PLUS 
Loan or a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf-
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ford Loan, the option of the borrower to pay 
the interest while the borrower is in school. 
‘‘(J) The definition of half-time enrollment 
at the institution, during regular terms and 
summer school, if applicable, and the con-
sequences of not maintaining at least half-time 
enrollment. 
‘‘(K) An explanation of the importance of 
contacting the appropriate offices at the institu-
tion of higher education if the borrower with-
draws prior to completing the borrower’s pro-
gram of study so that the institution can pro-
vide exit counseling, including information re-
garding the borrower’s repayment options and 
loan consolidation. 
‘‘(L) For a first-time borrower— 
‘‘(i) a statement of the anticipated 
balance on the loan for which the borrower 
is receiving counseling under this sub-
section; 
‘‘(ii) based on such anticipated bal-
ance, the anticipated monthly payment 
amount under, at minimum— 
‘‘(I) the standard repayment 
plan; and 
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‘‘(II) an income-based repayment 
plan under section 493C, as deter-
mined using regionally available data 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
of the average starting salary for the 
occupation in which the borrower has 
an interest in or intends to be em-
ployed; and 
‘‘(iii) an estimate of the projected 
monthly payment amount under each re-
payment plan described in clause (ii), 
based on the average cumulative indebted-
ness at graduation for borrowers of loans 
made under part D who are in the same 
program of study as the borrower. 
‘‘(M) For a borrower with an outstanding 
balance of principal or interest due on a loan 
made under this title— 
‘‘(i) a current statement of the 
amount of such outstanding balance and 
interest accrued; 
‘‘(ii) based on such outstanding bal-
ance, the anticipated monthly payment 
amount under, at minimum, the standard 
repayment plan and, using regionally avail-
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able data from the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics of the average starting salary for 
the occupation the borrower intends to be 
employed, an income-based repayment plan 
under section 493C; and 
‘‘(iii) an estimate of the projected 
monthly payment amount under each re-
payment plan described in clause (ii), 
based on— 
‘‘(I) the outstanding balance de-
scribed in clause (i); 
‘‘(II) the anticipated outstanding 
balance on the loan for which the stu-
dent is receiving counseling under this 
subsection; and 
‘‘(III) a projection for any other 
loans made under part D that the 
borrower is reasonably expected to ac-
cept during the borrower’s program of 
study based on at least the expected 
increase in the cost of attendance of 
such program. 
‘‘(N) The obligation of the borrower to 
repay the full amount of the loan, regardless of 
whether the borrower completes or does not 
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complete the program in which the borrower is 
enrolled within the regular time for program 
completion. 
‘‘(O) The likely consequences of default on 
the loan, including adverse credit reports, delin-
quent debt collection procedures under Federal 
law, and litigation, and a notice of the institu-
tion’s most recent cohort default rate (defined 
in section 435(m)), an explanation of the cohort 
default rate, the most recent national average 
cohort default rate, and the most recent na-
tional average cohort default rate for the cat-
egory 
of 
institution 
described 
in 
section 
435(m)(4) to which the institution belongs. 
‘‘(P) Information on the National Student 
Loan Data System and how the borrower can 
access the borrower’s records. 
‘‘(Q) The contact information for the insti-
tution’s financial aid office or other appropriate 
office at the institution the borrower may con-
tact if the borrower has any questions about the 
borrower’s rights and responsibilities or the 
terms and conditions of the loan. 
‘‘(4) BORROWERS
RECEIVING
PARENT
PLUS 
LOANS FOR DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—The informa-
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tion to be provided under paragraph (1)(A) to a bor-
rower of a Federal Direct PLUS Loan made on be-
half of a dependent student shall include the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) The information described in sub-
paragraphs (A) through (C) and (N) through 
(Q) of paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) The option of the borrower to pay the 
interest on the loan while the loan is in 
deferment. 
‘‘(C) For a first-time borrower of such 
loan— 
‘‘(i) a statement of the anticipated 
balance on the loan for which the borrower 
is receiving counseling under this sub-
section; 
‘‘(ii) based on such anticipated bal-
ance, the anticipated monthly payment 
amount under the standard repayment 
plan; and 
‘‘(iii) an estimate of the projected 
monthly payment amount under the stand-
ard repayment plan, based on the average 
cumulative indebtedness of other borrowers 
of Federal Direct PLUS Loans made on 
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the borrower is reasonably expected to 
accept during the program of study of 
such student based on at least the ex-
pected increase in the cost of attend-
ance of such program. 
‘‘(E) Debt management strategies that are 
designed to facilitate the repayment of such in-
debtedness. 
‘‘(F) An explanation that the borrower has 
the options to prepay each loan, pay each loan 
on a shorter schedule, and change repayment 
plans. 
‘‘(G) For each Federal Direct PLUS Loan 
made on behalf of a dependent student for 
which the borrower is receiving counseling 
under this subsection, the contact information 
for the loan servicer of the loan and a link to 
such servicer’s Website. 
‘‘(5) ANNUAL
LOAN
ACCEPTANCE.—Prior to 
making the first disbursement of a loan made under 
part D (other than a Federal Direct Consolidation 
Loan) to a borrower for an award year, an eligible 
institution, shall, as part of carrying out the coun-
seling requirements of this subsection for the loan, 
ensure that after receiving the applicable counseling 
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under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) for the loan the 
borrower accepts the loan for such award year by— 
‘‘(A) signing the master promissory note 
for the loan; 
‘‘(B) signing and returning to the institu-
tion a separate written statement that affirma-
tively states that the borrower accepts the loan; 
or 
‘‘(C) electronically signing an electronic 
version of the statement described in subpara-
graph (B).’’. 
SEC. 202. EXIT COUNSELING. 
Section 485(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
striking ‘‘through financial aid offices or other-
wise’’ and inserting ‘‘through the use of an 
interactive program, during an exit counseling 
session that is in-person or online, or through 
the use of the online counseling tool described 
in subsection (k)(1)(A)’’; 
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) through 
(ix) as clauses (iv) through (xii), respectively; 
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(C) by inserting before clause (iv), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(i) a summary of the outstanding balance of 
principal and interest due on the loans made to the 
borrower under part B, D, or E; 
‘‘(ii) an explanation of the grace period pre-
ceding repayment and the expected date that the 
borrower will enter repayment; and 
‘‘(iii) an explanation that the borrower has the 
option to pay any interest that has accrued while the 
borrower was in school or that may accrue during 
the grace period preceding repayment or during an 
authorized period of deferment or forbearance, prior 
to the capitalization of the interest;’’; 
(D) in clause (iv), as so redesignated— 
(i) by striking ‘‘sample information 
showing the average’’ and inserting ‘‘infor-
mation, based on the borrower’s out-
standing balance described in clause (i), 
showing the borrower’s’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘of each plan’’ and in-
serting ‘‘of at least the standard repay-
ment plan and the income-based repay-
ment plan under section 493C’’; 
(E) in clause (ix), as so redesignated— 
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(i) by inserting ‘‘decreased credit 
score,’’ after ‘‘credit reports,’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘reduced ability to 
rent or purchase a home or car, potential 
difficulty in securing employment,’’ after 
‘‘Federal law,’’; 
(F) in clause (x), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘consolidation loan under section 428C 
or a’’; 
(G) in clauses (xi) and (xii), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; and 
(H) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xiii) for each of the borrower’s loans made 
under part B, D, or E for which the borrower is re-
ceiving counseling under this subsection, the contact 
information for the loan servicer of the loan and a 
link to such servicer’s Website; and 
‘‘(xiv) an explanation that an individual has a 
right to annually request a disclosure of information 
collected by a consumer reporting agency pursuant 
to section 612(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1681j(a)).’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(B)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘online or’’ before ‘‘in 
writing’’; and 
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(B) by adding before the period at the end 
the following: ‘‘, except that in the case of an 
institution using the online counseling tool de-
scribed in subsection (k)(1)(A), the Secretary 
shall attempt to provide such information to the 
student in the manner described in subsection 
(k)(3)(C)’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ‘‘, such as 
the online counseling tool described in subsection 
(k)(1)(A),’’ after ‘‘electronic means’’. 
SEC. 203. ONLINE COUNSELING TOOLS. 
Section 485(k) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(k) ONLINE COUNSELING TOOLS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of the Achieving 
Independence through Degrees Act, the Secretary 
shall maintain— 
‘‘(A) an online counseling tool that pro-
vides the exit counseling required under sub-
section (b) and meets the applicable require-
ments of this subsection; and 
‘‘(B) an online counseling tool that pro-
vides the annual counseling required under sub-
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section (l) and meets the applicable require-
ments of this subsection. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS OF TOOLS.—In maintain-
ing the online counseling tools described in para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that each such 
tool is— 
‘‘(A) consumer tested, in consultation with 
other relevant Federal agencies, to ensure that 
the tool is effective in helping individuals under-
stand their rights and obligations with respect 
to borrowing a loan made under part D; 
‘‘(B) understandable to students who are 
borrowers of loans made under part D; and 
‘‘(C) freely available to all eligible institu-
tions. 
‘‘(3) RECORD OF COUNSELING COMPLETION.— 
The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) use each online counseling tool de-
scribed in paragraph (1) to keep a record of 
which individuals have received counseling using 
the tool, and notify the applicable institutions 
of the individual’s completion of such coun-
seling; 
‘‘(B) in the case of a borrower who re-
ceives annual counseling for a loan made under 
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part D using the tool described in paragraph 
(1)(B), notify the borrower by when the bor-
rower should accept, in a manner described in 
subsection (l)(6), the loan for which the bor-
rower has received such counseling; and 
‘‘(C) in the case of a borrower described in 
subsection (b)(1)(B) at an institution that uses 
the online counseling tool described in para-
graph (1)(A) of this subsection, the Secretary 
shall attempt to provide the information de-
scribed in subsection (b)(1)(A) to the borrower 
through such tool.’’. 
SEC. 204. LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS 
OF STUDENT LOAN COUNSELING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education, 
acting through the Director of the Institute of Education 
Sciences, shall begin conducting a rigorous, longitudinal 
study of the impact and effectiveness of the student loan 
counseling— 
(1) provided under subsections (b), (l), and (k) 
of section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1092), as amended by this Act; and 
(2) provided through such other means as the 
Secretary of Education may determine. 
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(b) CONTENTS.— 
(1) BORROWER
INFORMATION.—The longitu-
dinal study carried out under subsection (a) shall in-
clude borrower information, in the aggregate and 
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, income, and 
status as an individual with a disability, on— 
(A) student persistence; 
(B) degree attainment; 
(C) program completion; 
(D) successful entry into student loan re-
payment; 
(E) cumulative borrowing levels; and 
(F) such other factors as the Secretary of 
Education may determine. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—The disaggregation under 
paragraph (1) shall not be required in a case in 
which the number of borrowers in a category is in-
sufficient to yield statistically reliable information or 
the results would reveal personally identifiable infor-
mation about an individual borrower. 
(c) INTERIM REPORTS.—Not later than 18 months 
after the commencement of the study under subsection 
(a), and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Education 
shall evaluate the progress of the study and report any 
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short-term findings to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress. 
TITLE III—REPEAL OF SUSPEN-
SION OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER 
THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT 
OF 1965 FOR GRANTS, LOANS, 
AND WORK ASSISTANCE FOR 
DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES 
SEC. 301. REPEAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 484 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091) is amended by strik-
ing subsection (r). 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 484 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091) is 
amended by redesignating subsections (s), (t), and (u) as 
subsections (r), (s), and (t), respectively. 
SEC. 302. REVISION OF FAFSA FORM. 
Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1090) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) CONVICTIONS.—The Secretary shall not include 
any question about the conviction of an applicant for the 
possession or sale of illegal drugs on the FAFSA (or any 
other form developed under subsection (a)).’’. 
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TITLE IV—FINANCIAL AID 
SHOPPING SHEET 
SEC. 401. SECRETARIAL REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans 
Affairs, shall develop and finalize a financial shopping 
sheet that ensures each institution of higher education 
provides meaningful information about the financial cost 
and quality of such institution to students (including stu-
dents who have authorized the Department of Education 
to send the student’s Institutional Student Information 
Record to such institution) to assist such students in de-
termining how to use financial aid to attend such institu-
tion, and which— 
(1) is standardized so that it can be used by all 
institutions of higher education; 
(2) is consumer tested, and presented in a man-
ner that is simple and easily understandable; and 
(3) is personalized for each student who re-
ceives such sheet by including— 
(A) the cost of attendance of the edu-
cational program in which the student is en-
rolled or seeks to be enrolled; 
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(B) the type of Federal educational bene-
fits available to assist in covering such cost of 
attendance, including loans and grants under 
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965; 
(C) the amount of financial aid, including 
Federal, State, institutional, or other aid that 
can be used to assist in covering such cost of 
attendance; 
(D) information about student outcomes 
for students who graduate from such edu-
cational program, including, based upon the 
most recent data available— 
(i) the graduation rate; 
(ii) the loan repayment rate; and 
(iii) the estimated loan debt upon 
graduation; and 
(E) any other information that facilitates 
comparison of aid packages offered by different 
institutions of higher education. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(1) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—The term ‘‘cost of 
attendance’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087ll). 
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(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
SEC. 402. REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION. 
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(30) The institution will use a financial aid 
shopping sheet described in 401(a) of the Achieving 
Independence through Degrees Act as its sole finan-
cial award letter or include such sheet as a supple-
mental cover to such financial award letter.’’. 
TITLE V—SNAP AND HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
SEC. 501. SNAP TREATMENT OF LIVING EXPENSES IN-
CLUDED IN EDUCATIONAL LOANS. 
Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2014) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (3)(B) by striking ‘‘other 
than’’ and inserting ‘‘including’’; and 
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(B) in the proviso of paragraph (5) by 
striking ‘‘, and no portion’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘expenses,’’; and 
(2) in subsection (k)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 
paragraph (3). 
SEC. 502. ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN 
THE 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
NUTRITION 
ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 6(e) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2015(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (8) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) has an expected family contribution of 
zero, as determined by the procedures established in 
part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk–1087vv); or 
‘‘(10) is determined to be ‘independent’ based 
on one of the criteria specified in subparagraphs 
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(B), (C), (D), (G), and (H) of section 480(d)(1) of 
the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1087vv).’’. 
Æ 
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