Early Pell Promise Act
Bill: S.4874 | Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Early Pell Promise Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to carry out an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Program under which ED must make a commitment to award Pell Grants to certain students.
To be eligible to receive a commitment, the student must be in grades 8-12 and a member of a household receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Pursuant to a commitment, the student shall receive a Pell Grant during the first two academic years of attendance at an institution of higher education (IHE) as an undergraduate if the student

To establish an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Pell Promise Act''.

SEC. 2. EARLY FEDERAL PELL GRANT COMMITMENT PROGRAM.

    Subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 401B. EARLY FEDERAL PELL GRANT COMMITMENT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to carry out 
an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Program (referred to in this 
section as the `Program') under which the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) award grants to States to pay the administrative 
        expenses incurred in participating in the Program; and
            ``(2) make a commitment to award Federal Pell Grants to 
        eligible students in accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Program Requirements.--The Program shall meet the following 
requirements:
            ``(1) Eligible students.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A student shall be eligible to 
                receive a commitment from the Secretary to receive a 
                Federal Pell Grant early in the student's academic 
                career if the student--
                            ``(i) is in any of grades 8 through 12; and
                            ``(ii) is a member of a household receiving 
                        assistance under the supplemental nutrition 
                        assistance program established under the Food 
                        and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
                        seq.).
            ``(2) Federal pell grant commitment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), each eligible student who 
                participates in the Program shall receive a commitment 
                from the Secretary to receive a Federal Pell Grant 
                during the first 2 academic years that the student is 
                in attendance at an institution of higher education as 
                an undergraduate student, if the student--
                            ``(i) applies for Federal financial aid 
                        (via the Free Application for Federal Student 
                        Aid under section 483 (referred to in this 
                        section as `FAFSA')) for the award year that 
                        the student will be in attendance at an 
                        institution of higher education; and
                            ``(ii) enrolls at such institution of 
                        higher education--
                                    ``(I) not later than 1 year after 
                                such student receives a secondary 
                                school diploma or its recognized 
                                equivalent; or
                                    ``(II) if such student becomes a 
                                member of the Armed Forces, not later 
                                than 3 years after such student is 
                                discharged, separated, or released from 
                                the Armed Forces.
                    ``(B) Continued eligibility.--
                            ``(i) In general.--If an eligible student 
                        receives a commitment from the Secretary to 
                        receive a Federal Pell Grant during the first 2 
                        academic years that the student is in 
                        attendance at an institution of higher 
                        education as an undergraduate student and the 
                        student is not a member of a household 
                        receiving assistance under the supplemental 
                        nutrition assistance program established under 
                        the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                        2011 et seq.) at the time of the FAFSA 
                        application described in subparagraph (A)(i), 
                        then such student shall not receive a Federal 
                        Pell Grant pursuant to the commitment under 
                        this section for the academic year, unless the 
                        student, at the time of such FAFSA application, 
                        is a member of a household that is eligible for 
                        benefits under--
                                    ``(I) the supplemental security 
                                income program under title XVI of the 
                                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et 
                                seq.);
                                    ``(II) a State program funded under 
                                the temporary assistance for needy 
                                families program under part A of title 
                                IV of the Social Security Act (42 
                                U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                                    ``(III) the Medicaid program under 
                                title XIX of the Social Security Act 
                                (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.); or
                                    ``(IV) a means-tested Federal 
                                benefit program, not described in 
                                subclause (I), (II), or (III), that is 
                                determined appropriate by the 
                                Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Eligibility for other aid.--A 
                        student who does not receive a Federal Pell 
                        Grant pursuant to the commitment under this 
                        section because such student is not a member of 
                        a household receiving assistance under the 
                        supplemental nutrition assistance program 
                        established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 
                        2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) at the time such 
                        student applies for Federal financial aid (via 
                        the FAFSA) and the student is not eligible for 
                        benefits under a program described in clause 
                        (i), shall continue to be eligible for any 
                        other Federal student financial aid for which 
                        the student is otherwise eligible.
                    ``(C) Identification.--The Secretary shall identify 
                for each eligible institution, each eligible student 
                who attends that institution and participates in the 
                Program, including students participating in accordance 
                with subparagraph (B).
            ``(3) Applicability of federal pell grant requirements.--
        The requirements of section 401 shall apply to Federal Pell 
        Grants awarded pursuant to this section, except that with 
        respect to each eligible student who participates in the 
        Program, the amount of each such eligible student's Federal 
        Pell Grant only shall be calculated by deeming such student to 
        have an expected family contribution or student aid index, as 
        applicable, equal to zero.
    ``(c) State Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State desiring to participate in 
        the Program shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
        such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each application shall include--
                    ``(A) a description of the proposed targeted 
                information campaign for the Program and a copy of the 
                plan described in subsection (e)(2);
                    ``(B) an assurance that the State will fully 
                cooperate with the ongoing evaluation of the Program;
                    ``(C) a description of how the State will--
                            ``(i) encourage participating students to 
                        enroll in rigorous and challenging curricula 
                        and coursework, in order to reduce the need for 
                        remedial coursework at the postsecondary level;
                            ``(ii) increase the number of participating 
                        students who--
                                    ``(I) obtain a secondary school 
                                diploma; and
                                    ``(II) complete applications for 
                                and enroll in a program of 
                                postsecondary education;
                            ``(iii) introduce participating students to 
                        institutions of higher education, through trips 
                        and school-based sessions;
                            ``(iv) provide participating students with 
                        assistance in the admissions and application 
                        process for institutions of higher education or 
                        other postsecondary education programs; and
                            ``(v) ensure that each participating 
                        student has an educational development plan; 
                        and
                    ``(D) such other information as the Secretary may 
                require.
            ``(3) Educational development plan.--In this subsection, 
        the term `educational development plan' means an individualized 
        plan for a student that--
                    ``(A) contains a series of steps to help promote 
                the student's career awareness and exploration; and
                    ``(B) assists students in identifying--
                            ``(i) career and technical education 
                        programs or programs of study (as those terms 
                        are defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins 
                        Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
                        U.S.C. 2302), as in effect on July 1, 2019); or
                            ``(ii) other postsecondary options, 
                        including baccalaureate and subbaccalaureate 
                        degree programs.
    ``(d) Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--From amounts appropriated under 
        subsection (f) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 
        not less than 2 percent and not more than 5 percent to award a 
        grant or contract to an organization outside the Department for 
        an independent evaluation of the impact of the Program.
            ``(2) Competitive basis.--The grant or contract shall be 
        awarded on a competitive basis.
            ``(3) Matters evaluated.--The evaluation described in this 
        subsection shall consider metrics established by the Secretary 
        that emphasize access to and success in institutions of higher 
        education, encouraging low-income students to pursue higher 
        education, and the cost effectiveness of the program.
            ``(4) Dissemination.--The findings of the evaluation shall 
        be widely disseminated to the public by the organization 
        conducting the evaluation as well as by the Secretary.
    ``(e) Targeted Information Campaign.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each State receiving a grant under this 
        section shall, in cooperation with the participating local 
        educational agencies within the State and the Secretary, 
        develop a targeted information campaign for the Program.
            ``(2) Plan.--Each State receiving a grant under this 
        section shall include in the application submitted under 
        subsection (c) a written plan for their proposed targeted 
        information campaign. The plan shall include the following:
                    ``(A) Outreach.--Outreach to students and their 
                families, at a minimum, at the beginning and end of 
                each academic year.
                    ``(B) Distribution.--How the State plans to provide 
                the outreach described in subparagraph (A) and to 
                provide the information described in subparagraph (C).
                    ``(C) Information.--The annual provision by the 
                State to all students and families participating in the 
                Program of information regarding--
                            ``(i) the estimated national and statewide 
                        average higher education institution cost data 
                        for each academic year, which cost data shall 
                        be disaggregated by--
                                    ``(I) type of institution, 
                                including--
                                            ``(aa) 2-year public 
                                        institutions of higher 
                                        education;
                                            ``(bb) 4-year public 
                                        institutions of higher 
                                        education;
                                            ``(cc) 4-year private 
                                        institutions of higher 
                                        education; and
                                            ``(dd) private, for-profit 
                                        institutions of higher 
                                        education; and
                                    ``(II) component, including--
                                            ``(aa) tuition and fees; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) room and board;
                            ``(ii) Federal Pell Grants, including--
                                    ``(I) the maximum Federal Pell 
                                Grant for each academic year;
                                    ``(II) when and how to apply for a 
                                Federal Pell Grant; and
                                    ``(III) what the application 
                                process for a Federal Pell Grant 
                                requires;
                            ``(iii) State-specific postsecondary 
                        education savings programs;
                            ``(iv) State-based financial aid, including 
                        State-based merit aid;
                            ``(v) Federal financial aid available to 
                        students, including eligibility criteria for 
                        the Federal financial aid and an explanation of 
                        the Federal financial aid programs; and
                            ``(vi) financial aid that may be available 
                        from non-governmental sources.
            ``(3) Annual information.--The information described in 
        paragraph (2)(C) shall be provided to eligible students 
        annually for the duration of the students' participation in the 
        Program.
            ``(4) Reservation.--Each State receiving a grant under this 
        section shall reserve not less than 10 percent of the grant 
        funds received each fiscal year to carry out the targeted 
        information campaign described in this subsection.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be 
necessary.''.