Title: Pell Grant Modernization Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Pell Grant Modernization Act
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify eligibility requirements under the Federal Pell Grant Program. Specifically, the bill reduces the numbers of semesters a student is eligible to receive Pell Grants from 12 semesters to 10 semesters.
In addition, the bill increases the number of credits students must take each semester in order to be considered a full-time student.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4162 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4162

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to adjust the period of 
      eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 27, 2017

  Mr. Grothman (for himself and Mr. Garrett) 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 adjust the period of 
      eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, 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 ``Pell Grant Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL PELL GRANTS.

    (a) 10-Semester Period of Eligibility.--Section 401(c)(5) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)) is amended by 
striking ``12 semesters'' both places it appears and inserting ``10 
semesters''.
    (b) Full-Time Student.--Subparagraph (A) of section 481(a)(2) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(a)(2)) is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(2)(A) For the purpose of any program under this title, 
        the term academic year shall--
                    ``(i) require--
                            ``(I) a minimum of 30 weeks of 
                        instructional time for a course of study that 
                        measures its program length in credit hours; or
                            ``(II) a minimum of 26 weeks of 
                        instructional time for a course of study that 
                        measures its program length in clock hours;
                    ``(ii) require an undergraduate course of study to 
                contain an amount of instructional time whereby a full-
                time student is expected to complete at least--
                            ``(I) 30 semester or trimester hours or 45 
                        quarter credit hours in a course of study that 
                        measures its program length in credit hours; or
                            ``(II) 1,125 clock hours in a course of 
                        study that measures its program length in clock 
                        hours;
                    ``(iii) require an undergraduate course of study to 
                contain an amount of instructional time whereby a \3/
                4\-time student is expected to complete at least--
                            ``(I) 22 semester or trimester hours or 33 
                        credit hours in a course of study that measures 
                        its program length in credit hours; or
                            ``(II) 825 clock hours in a course of study 
                        that measures its program length in clock 
                        hours;
                    ``(iv) require an undergraduate course of study to 
                contain an amount of instructional time whereby a \1/
                2\-time student is expected to complete at least--
                            ``(I) 14 semester or trimester hours or 21 
                        credit hours in a course of study that measures 
                        its program length in credit hours; or
                            ``(II) 525 clock hours in a course of study 
                        that measures its program length in clock 
                        hours; and
                    ``(v) require an undergraduate course of study to 
                contain an amount of instructional time whereby a less 
                than \1/2\-time student is expected to complete less 
                than--
                            ``(I) 14 semester or trimester hours or 21 
                        credit hours in a course of study that measures 
                        its program length in credit hours; or
                            ``(II) 525 clock hours in a course of study 
                        that measures its program in clock hours.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on July 1, 2018.
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