450 
lowing table (or a successor table prescribed by the 
Secretary under section 478), for award year 2019– 
2020: 
‘‘Income Protection Allowance 
Family 
Size 
Number in College 
(including 
student) 
For each 
additional 
subtract: 
$35,470 
$29,410 
$6,030
44,170 
38,130 
$32,070 
54,540 
45,490 
42,450 
$36,370 
64,360 
58,280 
52,240 
46,190 
$40,160 
75,260 
69,210 
63,190 
57,090 
51,070 
For each 
additional 
add: 
8,500 
’’. 
SEC. 4086. UPDATED TABLES AND AMOUNTS TO NEED 
ANALYSIS. 
Section 478 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (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 2019–2020, the Secretary 
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 
2019–2020, the Secretary shall develop the re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00450
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
451 
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 2019–2020’’; and 
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘shall be developed’’ and all that follows 
through the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘shall be developed for each award 
year after award year 2019–2020, by in-
creasing each of the dollar amounts con-
tained in such section for award year 
2019–2020 by a percentage equal to the 
estimated percentage increase in the Con-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00451
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
452 
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. 4087. 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 file, or are el-
igible to file, a qualifying form, or certify that 
the parents are not required to file a Federal 
income tax return; 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 benefits at some time during the pre-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00452
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
453 
vious 24-month period under a means-tested 
Federal benefit program; 
‘‘(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) files, or is eligible to file, a 
qualifying form or certifies that the student 
(and the student’s spouse, if any) is not re-
quired to file a Federal income tax return; 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 benefits at some 
time during the previous 24-month period 
under a means-tested Federal benefit program; 
or 
‘‘(3) the applicant is a pathway one applicant 
under section 483(a)(13). 
‘‘(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00453
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
454 
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) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) QUALIFYING FORM.—The term ‘qualifying 
form’ means, in the case of an independent student, 
the student, or in the case of a dependent student, 
the family, files— 
‘‘(A) a form 1040A or 1040EZ (including 
any prepared or electronic version of such form) 
required pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986; 
‘‘(B) a form 1040 (including any prepared 
or electronic version of such form) required 
pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
except that such form shall be considered a 
qualifying form only if the student or family 
files such form in order to take a tax credit 
under section 25A of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, and would otherwise be eligible 
to file a form described in subparagraph (A); or 
‘‘(C) an income tax return (including any 
prepared or electronic version of such return) 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00454
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
455 
required pursuant to the tax code of the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American 
Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, Palau, or the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
‘‘(2) MEANS-TESTED FEDERAL BENEFIT PRO-
GRAM.—For purposes of this title, a ‘means-tested 
Federal benefit program’ means a mandatory spend-
ing program of the Federal government, other than 
a program under this title, in which eligibility for 
the program’s benefits, or the amount of such bene-
fits, are determined on the basis of income or re-
sources of the individual or family seeking the ben-
efit, and may include such programs as— 
‘‘(A) the supplemental security income pro-
gram under title XVI of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 
‘‘(B) the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); 
‘‘(C) the program of block grants for 
States for temporary assistance for needy fami-
lies established under part A of title IV of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00455
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
456 
‘‘(D) the special supplemental nutrition 
program for women, infants, and children es-
tablished by section 17 of the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786); 
‘‘(E) the State Medicaid program under 
title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396 et seq.); and 
‘‘(F) any other program identified by the 
Secretary.’’. 
SEC. 4088. AMENDMENTS TO DEFINITIONS IN NEED ANAL-
YSIS. 
(a) USING DATA FROM THE 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 by 
striking ‘‘may’’ in both places it appears and inserting 
‘‘shall’’. 
(b) CHANGES
TO UNTAXED INCOME
AND BENE-
FITS.—Section 480(b) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘untaxed income and benefits’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) child support received; 
‘‘(B) untaxed portion of pensions; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00456
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
457 
‘‘(C) payments to individual retirement ac-
counts and Keogh accounts excluded from in-
come for Federal income tax purposes.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (E); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (F) and inserting a semicolon; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) workman’s compensation; 
‘‘(H) veterans’ benefits such as death pen-
sion, dependency, and indemnity compensation, 
but excluding veterans’ education benefits as 
defined in subsection (c); 
‘‘(I) interest on tax-free bonds; 
‘‘(J) housing, food, and other allowances 
(excluding rent subsidies for low-income hous-
ing) for military, clergy, and others (including 
cash payments and cash value of benefits), ex-
cept that the value of on-base military housing 
or the value of basic allowance for housing de-
termined under section 403(b) of title 37, 
United States Code, received by the parents, in 
the case of a dependent student, or the student 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00457
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
458 
or student’s spouse, in the case of an inde-
pendent student, shall be excluded; 
‘‘(K) cash support or any money paid on 
the student’s behalf, except, for dependent stu-
dents, funds provided by the student’s parents; 
and 
‘‘(L) any other untaxed income and bene-
fits, such as Black Lung Benefits, Refugee As-
sistance, or Railroad Retirement benefits, or 
benefits received through participation in em-
ployment and training activities under title I of 
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
U.S.C. 2801 et seq.).’’. 
(c) AMENDMENT
TO
THE DEFINITION
OF INDE-
PENDENT STUDENT AS IT RELATES TO FOSTER AND 
HOMELESS YOUTH.—Section 480(d)(1)(H) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d)(1)(H)) is 
amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘during the school year in 
which the application is submitted’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘age 23 or younger’’ after 
‘‘unaccompanied youth’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘terms are’’ and inserting 
‘‘term is’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00458
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
459 
(2) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, or a designee 
of the liaison’’ after ‘‘Act’’; 
(3) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘a program fund-
ed under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act’’ 
and inserting ‘‘an emergency or transitional shelter, 
street outreach program, homeless youths drop-in 
center, or other program serving homeless youths,’’; 
and 
(4) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘program funded 
under subtitle B of title IV of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (relating to emergency 
shelter grants)’’ and inserting ‘‘Federal TRIO pro-
gram or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness 
for Undergraduate program under chapter 1 or 2 of 
subpart 2 of part A,’’. 
(d) STREAMLINING
THE
DETERMINATION
AND 
VERIFICATION PROCESS FOR FOSTER AND HOMELESS 
YOUTH.—Section 480(d) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d)) is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) SIMPLIFYING THE DETERMINATION PROC-
ESS FOR UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH.— 
‘‘(A) VERIFICATION.—A financial aid ad-
ministrator shall accept a homelessness deter-
mination made by any individual authorized to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00459
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
460 
make such determinations under clause (i), (ii), 
or (iii) of paragraph (1)(H) in the absence of 
conflicting information. A documented phone 
call with, or a written statement from, one of 
the 
authorized 
individuals 
is 
sufficient 
verification when needed. For purposes of this 
paragraph, a financial aid administrator’s dis-
agreement with the determination made by an 
authorized individual shall not be considered 
conflicting information. 
‘‘(B) 
DETERMINATION
OF
INDEPEND-
ENCE.—A financial aid administrator shall 
make a determination of independence under 
paragraph (1)(H) if a student does not have, 
and cannot obtain, documentation from any of 
the other designated authorities described in 
such paragraph. Such a determination shall 
be— 
‘‘(i) based on the definitions outlined 
in paragraph (1)(H); 
‘‘(ii) distinct from a determination of 
independence under paragraph (1)(I); 
‘‘(iii) based on a documented inter-
view with the student; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00460
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
461 
‘‘(iv) limited to whether the student 
meets the definitions in paragraph (1)(H) 
and not about the reasons for the student’s 
homelessness. 
‘‘(4) SIMPLIFYING THE VERIFICATION PROCESS 
FOR FOSTER CHILDREN AND YOUTH.— 
‘‘(A) VERIFICATION OF INDEPENDENCE.— 
If an institution requires documentation to 
verify that a student is independent based on a 
status described in paragraph (1)(B), a finan-
cial aid administrator shall consider any of the 
following as adequate verification: 
‘‘(i) Submission of a court order or of-
ficial State documentation that the student 
received Federal or State support in foster 
care. 
‘‘(ii) A documented phone call with, or 
a written statement from,— 
‘‘(I) a child welfare agency au-
thorized by a State or county; 
‘‘(II) a tribal child welfare au-
thority; 
‘‘(III) an Independent Living 
case worker; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00461
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
462 
‘‘(IV) a public or private foster 
care placing agency or foster care fa-
cility or placement; 
‘‘(V) another program serving or-
phans, foster children and youth, or 
wards of the court; or 
‘‘(VI) a probation officer. 
‘‘(iii) A documented phone call with, 
or a written statement from, an attorney, 
a guardian ad litem, or a Court Appointed 
Special Advocate, documenting that per-
son’s relationship to the student. 
‘‘(iv) A documented phone call with, 
or a written statement from, a representa-
tive of a Federal TRIO program or a 
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness 
for Undergraduate program under chapter 
1 or 2 of subpart 2 of part A. 
‘‘(v) Verification of the student’s eligi-
bility for an education and training vouch-
er under the John H. Chafee Foster Care 
Independence Program (42 U.S.C. 677). 
‘‘(vi) Submission of a copy of the stu-
dent’s biological or adoptive parents’— 
‘‘(I) Certificates of Death; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00462
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
463 
‘‘(II) newspaper obituaries. 
‘‘(vii) An attestation from the student, 
which includes a description of why the 
student may qualify for a status described 
in paragraph (1)(B), including the approxi-
mate dates that the student was in foster 
care, dependent, or a ward of the court, to 
the best of the student’s knowledge after 
making reasonable efforts to provide any 
requested documentation. 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
STREAMLINING
PER-
MITTED.—Nothing in this paragraph prohibits 
an institution from implementing polices that 
streamline the determination of independent 
status and improve a student’s access to finan-
cial aid because that student is an orphan, in 
foster care, or a ward of the court, or was an 
orphan, in foster care, or a ward of the court 
at any time since such student was 13 years of 
age or older. 
‘‘(5) TIMING; USE
OF
EARLIER
DETERMINA-
TION.— 
‘‘(A) TIMING.—A determination under 
subparagraph (B) or (H) of paragraph (1) for 
a student— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00463
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
464 
‘‘(i) shall be made as quickly as prac-
ticable; 
‘‘(ii) may be made as early as the year 
before the award year for which the stu-
dent initially submits an application; and 
‘‘(iii) shall be made no later than dur-
ing the award year for which the student 
initially submits an application. 
‘‘(B) USE OF EARLIER DETERMINATION.— 
Any student who is determined to be inde-
pendent under subparagraph (B) or (H) of 
paragraph (1) for a preceding award year at an 
institution shall be presumed to be independent 
for a subsequent award year at the same insti-
tution unless— 
‘‘(i) the student informs the institu-
tion that circumstances have changed; or 
‘‘(ii) the institution has specific con-
flicting information about the student’s 
independence, and has informed the stu-
dent of this information and the oppor-
tunity 
to 
challenge 
such 
information 
through a documented interview or an im-
partial review by the Student Loan Om-
budsman pursuant to section 141(f)(3)(C). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00464
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
465 
‘‘(6) RETENTION OF DOCUMENTS.—A financial 
aid administrator shall retain all documents related 
to the determination of independence under subpara-
graph (B) or (H) of paragraph (1), including docu-
mented interviews, for the duration of the student’s 
enrollment at the institution and for a minimum of 
1 year after the student is no longer enrolled at the 
institution.’’. 
(e) EXCLUDABLE INCOME.—Section 480(e) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(e)) is 
amended by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(5) payments made and services provided 
under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act 
to or on behalf of any child or youth over whom the 
State agency has responsibility for placement, care, 
or supervision, including the value of vouchers for 
education and training and amounts expended for 
room and board for youth who are not in foster care 
but are receiving services under section 477 of such 
Act; and’’. 
PART G 
SEC. 4091. FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION. 
Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1090) is amended— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00465
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
466 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘process’’ and all that follows through the 
end of clause (ii) and inserting ‘‘process a 
paper version of the forms described in 
this subsection, in accordance with sub-
paragraph (C).’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and 
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(C) as subparagraph (B); 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
the end sentence; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B), and 
redesignating subparagraphs (C) through 
(H) as subparagraphs (B) through (G), re-
spectively; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘academic year’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘award 
year’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
clause (iv); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:29 Aug 23, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00466
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6543.IH
H6543
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS