AID Act

Bill: 116-hr-3101
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]
Introduced: 2019-06-05 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Adoption and foster care
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Education
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational guidance
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Financial literacy
Food assistance and relief
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Higher education
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Inflation and prices
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Licensing and registrations
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
School administration
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Temporary and part-time employment
Vocational and technical education
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-05
text: 

Achieving Independence through Degrees Act or the AID Act

 
This bill revises certain federal student-aid programs. Among other things, it expands access to Pell Grants, expands loan counseling requirements, revises the Federal Work-Study Program, updates the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, and extends Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits to certain students. 
 
First, it expands access to Pell Grants by (1) increasing the maximum award and indexing it for inflation, (2) increasing the semester eligibility limit to 15 semesters, and (3) extending eligibility to certain short-term workforce training programs.
 
It modifies student loan counseling requirements applicable to institutions of higher education (IHEs) by requiring annual financial counseling and expanding exit counseling. The Department of Education (ED) must maintain an online counseling tool that provides annual and exit counseling.
 
Additionally, it permanently reauthorizes the Federal Work-Study Program and otherwise revises the program, including by allocating program funds to IHEs based on the amount of Pell Grant funds received by each IHE. It establishes a pilot program that provides work-based learning opportunities for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need.
 
It requires ED to allow students to complete FAFSA as independent students under special circumstances. It repeals a provision that makes students convicted of drug-related offenses ineligible for federal student aid and prohibits ED from asking about drug-related convictions on FAFSA.
 
The bill also allows certain students, including those who have an expected family contribution of zero, to qualify for SNAP benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
action_date: 2019-06-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-06-05
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-06-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-06-05
text: Introduced in House