Title: Protecting Our Gold Star Families' Education Act of 2019
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Protecting Our Gold Star Families' Education Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Education to expand the Pell Grant program to include grants for the dependents (including independent students) of a veteran who died serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces in Iraq or Afghanistan on or after September 11, 2001. To qualify for assistance, the dependents must be less than 33 years of age.
Pell Grant rules pertaining to the determination of financial need do not apply to the grants awarded by this bill for veterans' dependents.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1851 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1851

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide Federal Pell 
          Grants to Iraq and Afghanistan veteran's dependents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2019

  Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Scott of 
South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide Federal Pell 
          Grants to Iraq and Afghanistan veteran's dependents.

    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 ``Protecting Our Gold Star Families' 
Education Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. PROVIDING FEDERAL PELL GRANTS FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN 
              VETERAN'S DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Amendments.--Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 401, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Grants for Veteran's Dependents.--
            ``(1) Definition of eligible veteran's dependent.--In this 
        subsection, the term `eligible veteran's dependent' means a 
        dependent or an independent student--
                    ``(A) whose parent or guardian was an individual 
                who, on or after September 11, 2001, died in line of 
                duty while serving on active duty as a member of the 
                Armed Forces; and
                    ``(B) who is less than 33 years of age.
            ``(2) Grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award a 
                Federal Pell Grant, as modified in accordance with the 
                requirements of this subsection, to each eligible 
                veteran's dependent to assist in paying the eligible 
                veteran's dependent's cost of attendance at an 
                institution of higher education.
                    ``(B) Designation.--Federal Pell Grants made under 
                this subsection may be known as `Iraq and Afghanistan 
                Service Grants'.
            ``(3) Prevention of double benefits.--No eligible veteran's 
        dependent may receive a grant under both this subsection and 
        subsection (a) for the same award year.
            ``(4) Terms and conditions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award Iraq 
                and Afghanistan Service Grants under this subsection in 
                the same manner and with the same terms and conditions, 
                including the length of the period of eligibility, as 
                the Secretary awards Federal Pell Grants under 
                subsection (a), except as otherwise provided in 
                subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Different terms and conditions.--
                            ``(i) Amount.--An Iraq and Afghanistan 
                        Service Grant awarded under this subsection for 
                        an award year shall equal the maximum Federal 
                        Pell Grant available for that award year, 
                        except that such Iraq and Afghanistan Service 
                        Grant--
                                    ``(I) shall not exceed the cost of 
                                attendance of the eligible veteran's 
                                dependent for that award year; and
                                    ``(II) shall be adjusted to reflect 
                                the attendance by the eligible 
                                veteran's dependent on a less than 
                                full-time basis in the same manner as 
                                such adjustments are made for a Federal 
                                Pell Grant under subsection (a).
                            ``(ii) Determinations of need.--The award 
                        rules and determination of need applicable to 
                        the calculation of Federal Pell Grants under 
                        subsection (a) shall not apply to Iraq and 
                        Afghanistan Service Grants.
                            ``(iii) Maximum period.--The maximum period 
                        determined under subsection (c)(5) shall be 
                        determined by including all Iraq and 
                        Afghanistan Service Grants received by the 
                        eligible veteran's dependent, including such 
                        Grants received under subpart 10 before the 
                        effective date of this subsection.
            ``(5) Estimated financial assistance.--For purposes of 
        determinations of need under part F, an Iraq and Afghanistan 
        Service Grant shall not be treated as estimated financial 
        assistance as described in sections 471(3) and 480(j).''; and
            (2) by striking subpart 10.
    (b) Effective Date; Transition.--
            (1) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section 
        shall take effect with respect to the award year immediately 
        following the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Transition.--The Secretary shall take such steps as are 
        necessary to transition from the Iraq and Afghanistan Service 
        Grants program under subpart 10 of part A of title IV of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070h), as in effect on 
        the day before the effective date of this section, and the Iraq 
        and Afghanistan Service Grants program under section 401(k) of 
        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(k)), as 
        amended by this section.
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