I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5489 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to create the Pell Plus program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio (for himself, Mr. KILMER, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. 
FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
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 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. PELL PLUS PROGRAM. 
Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1070a), as amended by section 703 of the FAFSA 
Simplification Act (title VII of division FF of Public Law 
116–260), is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) PELL PLUS PROGRAM.— 
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‘‘(1) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning with award 
year 2025–2026, for each award year for which 
a student receives a Federal Pell Grant and 
meets the requirements of paragraph (2), the 
Secretary shall award such student an addi-
tional Federal Pell Grant, referred to as a ‘Fed-
eral Pell Plus Grant’, in an amount equal to the 
amount of the student’s Federal Pell Grant 
award determined under this section for such 
award year, except as provided in subparagraph 
(B). 
‘‘(B) COST
OF
ATTENDANCE
REDUC-
TIONS.—In any case in which a student is 
awarded a Federal Pell Grant under this sec-
tion and a Federal Pell Plus grant under this 
subsection, the combined total of such Federal 
Pell Grant, such Federal Pell Plus Grant, and 
the amount provided by a Pell Plus institution 
in accordance with paragraph (4)(B)(i)(II)(aa) 
shall not exceed the cost of attendance (as de-
fined in section 472) at the institution at which 
that student is in attendance. In the case that 
such combined total would exceed such cost of 
attendance, the Secretary shall reduce the 
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amount of the Federal Pell Plus grant awarded 
to the student, taking into consideration the 
corresponding reduction in the amount provided 
by a Pell Plus institution in accordance with 
paragraph (4)(B)(i)(II)(aa) as a result of the 
reduced Federal Pell Plus grant amount, until 
the combined total of such reduced Federal Pell 
Plus Grant, such reduced amount provided by 
a Pell Plus institution in accordance with para-
graph (4)(B)(i)(II)(aa), and the Federal Pell 
Grant award of the student does not exceed 
such cost of attendance. 
‘‘(2) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY.—A student meets the 
requirements of this paragraph, if the student— 
‘‘(A) during the award year during which the 
student receives a Federal Pell Plus Grant under 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(i) is enrolled— 
‘‘(I) in the student’s first under-
graduate baccalaureate course of study; 
and 
‘‘(II) at a Pell Plus institution; and 
‘‘(ii) is maintaining progress toward com-
pletion of such course of study in not more than 
a total of 4 academic years; and 
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‘‘(B) has completed at least 4 semesters, or the 
equivalent, of such course of study. 
‘‘(3) DURATION LIMITS.—The period during which 
a student receives a Federal Pell Plus Grant under para-
graph (1) shall be included in calculating the duration lim-
its with respect to such student under subsection (d)(5), 
and to the extent that such period was a fraction of a 
semester or the equivalent, only that same fraction of such 
semester or equivalent shall count towards such duration 
limits. 
‘‘(4) PELL PLUS INSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY.—For 
purposes of this subsection, a Pell Plus institution is an 
eligible institution for purposes of this subpart that— 
‘‘(A) notifies the Secretary that the institution 
desires to participate in the program under this sub-
section; 
‘‘(B) agrees to provide, to each student receiv-
ing a Federal Pell Plus Grant under paragraph 
(1)— 
‘‘(i) for each award year for which the stu-
dent receives such Federal Pell Plus Grant— 
‘‘(I) a notification that shall include— 
‘‘(aa) whether the student is 
maintaining the progress toward com-
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pletion 
required 
under 
paragraph 
(2)(A)(ii); 
‘‘(bb) in a case in which the stu-
dent is not maintaining such progress 
toward completion, a list of available 
student support services and addi-
tional resources to assist the student 
in completing the course of study for 
which the student is receiving the 
Federal Pell Plus Grant in not more 
than a total of 4 academic years; and 
‘‘(cc) the amount of funds the 
student is receiving under the Federal 
Pell Plus Grant and from the institu-
tion under subclause (II)(aa); and 
‘‘(II) an amount of funds— 
‘‘(aa) equal to the amount of 
such Federal Pell Plus Grant received 
by the student for such award year; 
and 
‘‘(bb) using the non-Federal re-
sources 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 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a student who, as of the 
beginning of the third academic year of the 
course of study for which the student is receiv-
ing the Federal Pell Plus Grant, is not main-
taining the progress toward completion required 
under paragraph (2)(A)(ii), a warning during 
such third academic year that the student will 
not be eligible for a Federal Pell Plus Grant 
under paragraph (1) for the fourth academic 
year of such course of study unless the student 
demonstrates, by not later than the end of such 
third academic year, progress toward com-
pleting such course of study by the end of the 
fourth academic year of such course of study; 
and 
‘‘(C) in the case of an institution that provides 
institutional grant or scholarship aid to a student 
for the academic year preceding the academic year 
for which the student receives a Federal Pell Plus 
Grant under paragraph (1), agrees to provide the 
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amount of such institutional grant or scholarship aid 
for any academic year for which the student receives 
such Federal Pell Plus Grant that the institution 
would have provided to such student in the absence 
of such Federal Pell Plus Grant, except that such 
amount of aid may be reduced to ensure that the 
combined amount of such aid, and the Federal Pell 
Plus Grant, the amount under subparagraph 
(B)(i)(II)(aa), and the Federal Pell Grant award 
provided to the student does not exceed the cost of 
attendance (as defined in section 472) at such insti-
tution for such academic year; and 
‘‘(D) the Secretary determines meets the re-
quirements of this paragraph.’’. 
SEC. 3. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 485(a)(1) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)(1)) is amend-
ed— 
(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(k), 
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any applicable information with respect to the 
institution’s participation in the Federal Pell 
Plus Grant program under such subsection.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect with respect to award year 
2025–2026 and each succeeding award year. 
Æ 
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