On this page, you'll find proposals focused on aid for servicemembers.

For military and veteran's aid proposals from the previous sessions of Congress, visit the Legislative Tracker Archive: Military & Veterans Aid. 

*NEW* H.R.7372 - Improving College Affordability for our Guard and Reserve Act 

Sponsor: Rep. Reschenthaler [R-PA]
Cosponsors: 9 (4D; 5R)
Introduced: 06/25/2020
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend the HEA to include all members of the Armed Forces in the definition of "independent student" for purposes of determining the eligibility of service members for federal financial assistance.

S.3503 / H.R.6194 - The Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020

Sponsor: Sen. Moran [R-KS]
Cosponsors: 30 (16D; 14R)
Sponsor: Rep. Roe [R-TN]
Cosponsors: 16 (0D; 16R)
Introduced: 3/16/2020
Became Law: 3/21/2020
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill enables the VA to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This bill also gives the VA temporary authority to continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergencies. This allows for continued payment of benefits even if the program has changed from resident training to online training.

• 4/13/2020 - NASFAA Joins in Support of Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020

H.R.5314 - Support for Veterans in Effective Apprenticeships Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. Clark [D-MA]
Cosponsors: 5 (2D; 3R)
Introduced: 12/05/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would expand and improve apprenticeship opportunities for veteran students. The Support for Veterans in Effective Apprenticeships Act of 2019 would increase access to financial assistance that these students can use while in an apprentice program. 

S.2857 - Protect Veterans' Education and Taxpayer Spending Act of 2019

Sponsor: Sen. Carper [D-DE]
Cosponsors: 3 (1D; 2R)
Introduced: 11/14/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: The Protect Veterans' Education and Taxpayer Spending Act is a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting student veterans by imposing new funding restrictions on the for-profit colleges that enroll them. Specifically, the bill would target the “90/10 loophole,” which the lawmakers argue has allowed certain schools to skirt requirements to receive no more than 90% of their funding from federal funds, because military education benefits are not currently counted as federal revenue.

• 11/19/2019 - Senators Introduce 'Landmark' Bipartisan Bill to Protect Student Veterans, Close 90/10 Loophole
  
  

H.R.4609 - Veteran Service Equity Act

Sponsor: Rep. Levin [D-CA]
Cosponsors: 1 (1D; 0R)
Introduced: 10/04/2019
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would allow borrowers who have full-time jobs with a veteran or military service organization that does not engage in partisan political campaign activity to be eligible for public service loan forgiveness.

H.R.4012 - Safeguarding Student Veterans Act

Sponsor: Rep. Cummings [D-MD]
Cosponsors: 2 (0D; 2R)
Introduced: 07/25/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill would require the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share information about institutions of higher education that specifically target veteran students for enrollment. Institutions who are placed on heightened cash monitoring status would also have their financial and compliance issues shared with the VA.

H.R.3598 - FREED Vets Act

Sponsor: Rep. Lamb, Conor [D-PA]
Cosponsors: 4 (2 R; 2 D)
Introduced: 06/28/2019
S.2049
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Cosponsors: 1 (1 R; 0 D)
Introduced: 06/28/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill would automatically discharge federal student loans for veterans who have been assigned a rating of total disability or have been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be unemployable due to a service-connected condition.

H.R.3512 - Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students (PROTECT) Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV]
Cosponsors: 8 (0 R; 8 D)
Introduced: 06/26/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This piece of legislation would address the GI Bill loophole and reform protections for student loan borrowers. The bill would close the GI Bill loophole by including funds from the Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense in the definition of federal education assistance funds and would revert to a 85:15 revenue ratio for proprietary institutions. This bill would reform the process for proprietary institutions to convert to non-profit status and would establish an interagency committee for the federal oversight of for-profit schools. Additionally, the bill would prohibit Title IV institutions from including pre-dispute mandatory arbitration clauses or class action bans from their student enrollment agreements and bolster the 2016 borrower defense rule.  Finally, the bill would ban the usage of federal education assistance funds for marketing and recruitment.

H.R.3369 - Defending All Veterans In Education Act

Sponsor: Rep. Shalala, Donna E. [D-FL]
Cosponsors: 20 (1 R; 19 D)
Introduced: 06/19/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill aims to close the GI Bill loophole. It would require proprietary institutions to receive no less than 20% of its revenue from non-federal funds. Additionally, this bill clarifies the definition of federal funds to include GI bill benefits except for the monthly housing stipend provided under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

H.R.1652 - Veteran Education Empowerment Act

Sponsor: Rep. Frankel (D-FL)
Co-Sponsors: 4 (2 R; 2 D)
Introduced: 03/08/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill would award grants to institutions of higher education to create or improve Veteran Student Centers on campuses. In addition to a multitude of other services, the Centers would help Veterans to understand and obtain benefits provided by the institution, or the Federal Government and State financial aid awards.

H.R.1229 - Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2019

Sponsor: Rep. Chabot (R-OH)
Co-Sponsors: 8 (2 R; 6 D)
Introduced: 02/14/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill would protect borrowers enrolled in the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program from being penalized if during their eligible teaching period they have to relocate because their spouse is a member of the Armed Forces.

H.R.730 - Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act

Sponsor: Rep. King (R-NY)
Co-Sponsors: 35 (15 R; 20 D)
Introduced: 01/23/2019
NASFAA Analysis & Coverage: This bill would allow Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to be used for fees for an institution's application for admission.

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