On this page, you'll find previous proposals to streamline the federal financial aid application to make it easier for parents and students. Use these links to jump to a specific session of Congress.

• • • 118th Session of Congress (2023-current)
    • 117th Session of Congress (2021-2023)
    • 116th Session of Congress (2019-2021)
    • 115th Session of Congress (2017-2019)
    • 114th Session of Congress (2015-2017)

117th Session of Congress

H.R.5777 — CHOICE Act

Sponsor: Rep. Keller [R-PA]
Cosponsors: 0
Introduced: 10/28/2021
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would expand Pell eligibility to include short-term occupational programs. Under this bill, students who attend programs that are "150 clock hours of instruction, four semester hours, or six quarter hours, offered during a minimum of eight weeks" and that provide training aligned with high-skill, in-demand industry jobs would be eligible for Pell grant funds assuming they meet all other eligibility requirements. 

H.R.5739 — Unnamed at Time of Publishing

Sponsor: Rep. Morelle [D-NY]
Cosponsors: 0
Introduced: 10/26/2021
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would allow students with disabilities who are otherwise eligible for the Pell Grant to receive an amount based on a full-time attendance status, regardless of their actual attendance status. The bill would also allow these students to exceed the current 12 semester limit that students are able to receive Pell Grant funds for if required by the students' accommodations to complete their undergraduate program.

S.1440 — FAFSA Simplification Technical Corrections Act

Sponsor: Sen. Hassan [D-NH]
Cosponsors: 1
Introduced: 04/28/2021
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill will make technical corrections to the FAFSA Simplification Act which was signed into law in December of 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. One of the changes is to the Cost of Attendance (COA) in which the original language required institutions to include the exact origination fee amounts in a student’s COA, this technical amendment would only require an average cost. 

H.R.1536 — Improving College Affordability for our Guard and Reserve Act

Sponsor: Rep. Reschenthaler [R-PA]
Cosponsors: 6
Introduced: 03/03/2021
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would include all members of the Armed Forces, including veteran and National Guard or Reserve service members, in the definition of an independent student for FAFSA and federal financial aid purposes.

116th Session of Congress

H.R. 133 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

Sponsor: Rep. Cuellar (D-TX)
Cosponsors: 4 (3D; 1R)
Introduced: 12/21/2020 - Became Law: 12/27/2020
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The bill provides additional pandemic relief to higher education, and make a number of other higher education-related policy changes, including simplifying the FAFSA, increasing the maximum Pell Grant award and expanding the program to incarcerated students, and giving financial aid offices more flexibility in professional judgment (PJ) cases during a national emergency. It includes a $150 increase to the 2021-22 maximum Pell Grant, a combined $25 million increase in Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) funding, and nearly $23 billion in additional COVID-19 relief funds for higher education. 

• 12/21/2020 - Congress Releases Bipartisan Year-End Spending Deal, FAFSA Simplification, COVID Relief, and Other Student Aid Provisions
• 12/21/2020 - NASFAA Deep Dive: Changes to Federal Methodology, Other Student Aid Changes From Spending Bill
  
  

S.5079 - Stopping Unfair Collateral Consequences from Ending Student Success "SUCCESS Act"

Sponsor: Sen. Casey [D-PA]
Cosponsors: 0
Introduced: 12/21/2020
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would repeal the suspension of eligibility for grants, loans, and work assistance for drug-related offenses.

H.R.8748 - Honor Our Nation's Oath to Remember Our Veterans' Sacrifice Act (HONOR Our Veterans' Sacrifice Act) 

Sponsor: Rep. Spanberger [D-VA]
Cosponsors: 1 (0D; 1R)
Introduced: 11/12/2020
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the Higher Education Act by including veterans benefits such as disability, death pension, dependency, indemnity compensation and education benefits as untaxed income for FAFSA filing purposes. 

H.R.5363 - The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act (FUTURE) Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. Adams [D-NC]
Cosponsors: 3 (3D; 0R)
Introduced: 12/10/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would provide $255 million in permanent, annual mandatory funding to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and simplify the financial aid application, verification, and student loan repayment processes for millions of students. The bill would amend section 6103(l) of the IRC to allow the IRS to disclose tax return information directly to authorized ED officials for the purposes of "determining eligibility for, and amount of, Federal student financial aid." The allowable information to be disclosed would include all items currently transferred via the DRT, as well as the taxpayer's filing status, whether they filed a lettered tax schedule, and whether the individual(s) had filed taxes. The bill further permits taxpayer data sharing between IRS and ED and/or its contractors for the purpose of verifying income for applicants requesting or renewing eligibility for income-driven loan repayment plans as well as for the three-year monitoring period after a borrower has received a loan discharge for total and permanent disability.

• 12/5/2019 - NASFAA Supports Bipartisan FAFSA Act and Permanent MSI Funding in FUTURE Act
• 12/5/2019 - Analysis: Bipartisan Legislation Would Allow IRS-ED Data Sharing, Fund MSIs
  
  

H.R.5368 - Faster Access to Federal Student Aid Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. DelBene [D-WA] 
Cosponsors: 0
Introduced: 12/09/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill, the Faster Access to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Act, would, through better integration with the Department of Education (ED) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), simplify the application, verification, and student loan repayment processes. The FAFSA Act would amend section 6103(l) of the Internal Revenue Code to allow the IRS to disclose tax return information to authorized ED officials for the purposes of "determining eligibility for, and amount of, Federal student financial aid." The allowable information to be disclosed would include all items currently brought over from the DRT, and would also include "the filing status of such taxpayer," including whether the applicant had filed taxes.

S.2667 - FAFSA Simplification Act of 2019

Sponsor: Sen. Alexander [R-TN]
Cosponsors: 1 (0D;1R)
Introduced: 10/22/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would create a streamlined financial aid application process, while still giving schools, states, and scholarship providers enough information to offer financial aid to today's diverse college-going population. Under this proposal, all students would be able to determine their Pell Grant eligibility through Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and household size.

• 10/22/2019 - Bipartisan Senate Bill Simplifies the FAFSA, Restructures Pell Grant Eligibility
• 10/22/2019 - NASFAA, National College Access Network Release Statement of Support for Bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act

H.R.4680 - Equitable Student Aid Access Act

Sponsor: Rep. Doggett [D-TX]
Cosponsors: 61 (61D; 0R)
Introduced: 10/15/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would add receipt of a federal means-tested benefits program (such as SSI, SNAP, and Medicaid) as a sole qualifier for an auto-zero expected family contribution (EFC) determination. This change would allow students and families who have already demonstrated high need to automatically qualify for maximum federal student aid, thereby reducing the FAFSA to personal identity and non-income eligibility questions. In addition, the bill codifies the Early FAFSA and use of prior-prior year (PPY) tax information put into place by former President Barack Obama via executive action in fall 2015, ensuring that students will continue to be able to submit their federal financial aid application for the coming school year in October rather than in January using data financial data filed with the IRS two years prior.

H.R.4584 - Financial Aid Fairness for Students Act

Sponsor: Rep. Bass [D-CA]
Cosponsors: 36 (35D; 1R)
Introduced: 10/01/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would repeal Section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act, no longer suspending federal financial aid for students who have been convicted of a drug offense. The bill would also remove the question pertaining to drug offenses from the FAFSA. 

S.2557 - Student Aid Improvement Act of 2019

Sponsor: Sen. Alexander [R-TN]
Cosponsors: 0
Introduced: 9/26/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The Student Aid Improvement Act includes auto-qualifying applicants up-front for maximum Pell Grants if they meet specific criteria like qualifying for certain means-tested benefits or make too little money to need to file tax returns. It also would not require applicants to list assets on the FAFSA if their tax returns did not indicate any significant assets as reported on tax schedules. The bill would also pave the way for more cooperation between federal agencies to auto-qualify applicants. The Student Aid Improvement Act also incorporates language that would require significant standardization of financial aid offers, by mandating the use of standard language and a standard format, as well as multiple other items. The bill would require certain standardized items to be included on the first page of the financial aid offer and in the same order, and sets strict standards for the way financial aid and enrollment information must be displayed on the first page of the aid offer. 

• 9/26/2019 - Senator Alexander Proposes Scaled Back HEA

H.R.4478 - Simple FAFSA Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. Sablan [D-MP]
Cosponsors: 2 (2D; 0R)
Introduced: 9/24/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This comprehensive FAFSA simplification bill would codify the use of prior-prior year (PPY) income data on the FAFSA and create a three-pathway model for the FAFSA. The EFC formula would be changed to result in a more generous treatment of students and, in some cases, parent income. The income threshold for automatic zero EFC would increase to $34,000 and would increase with inflation. The definition of untaxed income is narrowed significantly under the bill. The bill repeals the 1998 prohibition on students with certain drug offense convictions, as well as those who fail to register with the Selective Service System, from receiving federal student assistance, a change NASFAA has supported for some time. It also grants Title IV eligibility to undocumented "Dreamer" students, defined for these purposes as those who entered the U.S. prior to reaching age 16 and have either earned or are in the process of earning a high school diploma or associate's degree, have been eligible for a grant of deferred action, or have served in the uniformed services.

H.R.4245 - HOPE (Heightening Opportunities for Pathways to Education) for FAFSA Act

Sponsor: Rep. McBath [D-GA]
Cosponsors: 1 (1D; 0R)
Introduced: 9/09/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The HOPE for FAFSA Act would streamline the FAFSA process for applicants, putting them into 1 of 3 pathways depending on the complexity of their finances. Pathway One applicants would be those who have received a federal means-tested benefit at some time during the previous 24-month period before filing their FAFSA, Pathway Two applicants would be those who are not required to file a tax return, or did not need to file any additional Schedules with their 1040 form and who's adjusted gross income is less than or equal to $60,000. All other applicants would fall under Pathway Three. 

• 9/19/2019 - House FAFSA Simplification Bill Draws on NASFAA Recommendations

H.R.4240 - File Once FAFSA Act

Sponsor: Rep. Underwood [D-IL]
Cosponsors: 2 (2D; 0R)
Introduced: 9/06/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The File Once FAFSA Act would allow applicants who submit a FAFSA for an undergraduate course of study and who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for their first year, to not have to resubmit a FAFSA application for the rest of their undergraduate study, and instead, submit a certification form confirming there was no change to their dependency status.

S.416 - FAFSA Fairness Act of 2019

Sponsor: Sen. Cardin (D-MD)
Co-Sponsors: 1 (0 R; 1 D)
Introduced: 02/07/2019
H.R. 1075
Sponsor: Rep. Cummings (D-MD)
Co-Sponsors: 2 (0 R; 2 D)
Introduced: 2/07/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: The bill would allow students who are unable to provide parent information because of situations such as parental abandonment, abuse, or neglect, and would be likely to meet the criteria for a dependency override, to submit their FAFSA after answering a single screening question, as a "provisionally independent" student. The student would receive an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and estimated Pell Grant award amount based on the provisional independent status. The student's Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) would indicate the provisional status, and schools would be required to reach out to admitted students to discuss the next steps for applying for a dependency override.

• 2/8/2019: Democratic Lawmakers Aim to Help Students Without Access to Parental Information Complete the FAFSA
• 2/8/2019: NASFAA Statement on the FAFSA Fairness Act of 2019

115th Session of Congress

114th Session of Congress

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