GRACE Act

Bill: 116-hr-3792
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Horn, Kendra S. [D-OK-5]
Introduced: 2019-07-17
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees

Higher education

Interest, dividends, interest rates

Student aid and college costs
Latest action: action_date: 2019-07-17
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-07-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Guaranteeing Respite After College Ends Act or the GRACE Act</b></p> <p>This bill (1) provides for deferment periods (i.e., grace periods) that apply to federal student loan payments, and (2) prohibits interest from accruing on these loans during such deferment periods.</p> <p>The bill specifies that Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020, are not subject to repayment of principal or interest accrual while the student borrower is in school or during the six-month grace period after the student borrower leaves school. </p> <p>Additionally, the bill specifies that Federal Direct PLUS Loans and Federal Direct Consolidation Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020, are not subject to repayment of principal or interest accrual prior to 60 days after loan disbursement.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3792 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 17, 2019 Ms. Kendra S. Horn of Oklahoma introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for deferment for Federal loans prior to the beginning of the repayment period.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Guaranteeing Respite After College Ends Act or the GRACE Act . 2. Deferment for Federal student loans beginning July 1, 2020 Section 455(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(f) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (6) Deferment of new loans on or after July 1, 2020 (A) In general Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(B) or any other provision of this title to the contrary, a borrower of a loan under this part for which the first disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2020, shall be eligible for and granted a deferment, during which periodic installments of principal need not be paid, and interest shall not accrue— (i) with respect to any Federal Direct Stafford Loan or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, during the period prior to the beginning of the repayment period of the loan; and (ii) with respect to any Federal Direct PLUS Loan or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan, during the period prior to the commencement of repayment of such loan in accordance with section 428B9(d)(1) (as applied to Federal Direct PLUS Loans) or section 428C(c)(4) (as applied to Federal Direct Consolidation Loans). (B) Other deferments The deferment authorized under this paragraph is in addition to the deferments authorized under the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, and nothing in this paragraph shall be interpreted to eliminate the availability of any other period of authorized deferment or forbearance under this title, except as specified in subparagraph (A) . .