Student Loan Deferment for Sexual Violence Survivors Act
Bill: H.R.7980 | Sponsor: Rep. Dean, Madeleine (D-PA)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Student Loan Deferment for Sexual Violence Survivors Act
This bill allows a borrower who is a victim of sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking) to defer payment of federal student loans for up to three years. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Education to waive certain requirements for repayment of grant assistance or federal student loans for a borrower whose attendance was interrupted due to such violence.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for deferment on 
    the repayment of loans for borrowers who are victims of sexual 
                   violence, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Student Loan Deferment for Sexual 
Violence Survivors Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFERMENT FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

    Section 455(f)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087e(f)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (C);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (D) 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) not in excess of 3 years (for one or more 
                periods of not less than 6 months and not more than 12 
                months) during which the borrower ceases to carry at 
                least one-half the normal full-time work load for the 
                course of study that the borrower is pursuing, as 
                determined by the eligible institution (as such term is 
                defined in section 435(a)) the borrower is attending, 
                beginning on the date on which the borrower reports to 
                the title IX coordinator (within the meaning of section 
                106.8 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
                successor regulations) of such institution that the 
                borrower is a victim of sexual violence (which includes 
                sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and 
                stalking, as such terms are defined in section 
                485(f)(6)(A)).''.

SEC. 3. RETURN OF FUNDS WAIVER.

    Section 484B(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1091b(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) Waivers of grant assistance and loan 
                repayment by students who are victims of sexual 
                violence.--In addition to the waivers authorized by 
                subparagraphs (D) and (E), the Secretary may waive the 
                amounts that students are required to return under this 
                section with respect to any grant assistance (including 
                Federal Pell Grants) or loans made under this title if 
                the withdrawals on which the returns are based are 
                withdrawals by students--
                            ``(i) whose attendance was interrupted due 
                        to being a victim of sexual violence (within 
                        the meaning of section 455(f)(2)(E)); and
                            ``(ii) in the case of students who, in the 
                        absence of this subparagraph, would have been 
                        required to return loans made under this title, 
                        who are receiving a deferment under section 
                        455(f)(2)(E) on such loans.''.
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