FLAT Act
Bill: H.R.5381 | Sponsor: Rep. Kim, Andy (D-NJ)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Front-Loaded Aid Transparency Act or the FLAT Act
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on the front-loading of grant aid by institutions of higher education (IHEs) for FY2007-FY2020. Front-loading refers to the practice of providing first-year students with a higher amount or percentage of grant aid than the IHE provides to second-year, third-year, or fourth-year students.

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
   study on the front-loading of grant aid by institutions of higher 
                   education, 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 ``Front-Loaded Aid Transparency Act'' 
or the ``FLAT Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON FRONT-LOADING OF GRANT AID BY INSTITUTIONS 
              OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on the front-loading of institutional grant aid by 
covered institutions of higher education during the period beginning 
with fiscal year 2007 and ending with fiscal year 2020.
    (b) Elements.--The study conducted under subsection (a) shall 
include an assessment of the following:
            (1) Any information known about the prevalence of front-
        loading by covered institutions and trends in how average grant 
        aid for first-year undergraduate students compared to amounts 
        for subsequent years of undergraduate study, including whether 
        the covered institution is public, private non-profit, or for-
        profit.
            (2) Potential reasons why an institution would reduce the 
        amount of grant aid provided to individual students after their 
        first year, and why, if at all, the magnitude of these 
        reductions would be higher at some covered institutions.
            (3) Any information known about how decreases in students' 
        grant aid after their first year of undergraduate study affects 
        subsequent enrollment intensity and student loan borrowing, 
        retention, transfer, and graduation rates.
            (4) The extent to which covered institutions inform 
        prospective students about how their aid packages are likely to 
        change after their first year of study.
    (c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and 
the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives a 
report that includes--
            (1) the results of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a); and
            (2) recommendations for legislative action to address the 
        front-loading of institutional grant aid by covered 
        institutions.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered institution.--The term ``covered institution'' 
        means an institution of higher education that--
                    (A) provides a four-year educational program; and
                    (B) participates in programs authorized under title 
                IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 
                et seq.).
            (2) Front-loading.--The term ``front loading'', when used 
        with respect to institutional grant aid, means the practice by 
        which a covered institution provides first-year students with a 
        higher amount or percentage of institutional grant aid than the 
        institution provides to second-year, third-year, or fourth-year 
        students.
            (3) Institutional grant aid.--The term ``institutional 
        grant aid'' means grant aid--
                    (A) provided to a student by a covered institution; 
                and
                    (B) that is directly funded by such institution 
                using funds from non-Federal sources.
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