,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cddf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ab1       
#bjac,mr4 ,cummings 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,ellison1 ,mr4 ,tierney1 ,ms4 ,wilson of
 ,florida1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,ms4            
,shea-,porter1 ,mrs4 ,mc,carthy of ,new 
,york1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 and ,mr4 ,rangel7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,education and the ,workforce  ,a ,,bill
  ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act 
of #aife to amend the process by which  
students with certain special           
circumstances apply for ,federal        
financial aid4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,,fafsa        
,fairness ,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,changes  
to the ,,fafsa for certain students     
,section #dhc of the ,higher ,education 
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajij7 is  
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7h77#a71 by
 inserting the following before the     
semicolon3 1 including the special      
circumstances under which a student may 

qualify for a determination of          
independence2 and  7#b7 by adding at the
 end the following3  7i7 ,provisional   
,independent ,students  7#a7            
,requirements for the ,secretary ,the   
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 enable each     
student who1 based on the special       
circumstance specified in subsection    
7h77#a71 may qualify for an adjustment  
under section #dgi;,a that will result  
in a determination of independence under
 such section and section               
#dhj7;d77#a77;,i71 to complete the forms
 developed by the ,secretary under      
subsection 7a7 as an independent student
 for the purpose of an initial          
determination of the student's ,federal 
financial aid award by a financial aid  
administrator at an institution of      
higher education to which the student is
 applying for financial aid1 but subject
 to verification under paragraph        
7#b77;,b7 for the purpose of the final  
determination of the award2 and  7,b7   
specify1 on the forms1 the consequences 

under section #dij7;a7 of knowingly and 
willfully completing the forms as an    
independent student under subparagraph  
7,a7 without meeting the special        
circumstances to qualify for such a     
determination4  7#b7 ,requirements for  
financial aid administrators ,with      
respect to a student who completes the  
forms as an independent student under   
paragraph 7#a77;,a71 a financial aid    
administrator shall-- 7,a7 provide an   
initial determination of the student's  
,federal financial aid award to the     
student in the same manner as1 and by   
not later than the date that1 the       
administrator provides other independent
 students their initial determinations  
of ,federal financial aid awards2 and   
7,b7 in making a final determination of 
the student's ,federal financial aid    
award1 use the discretion provided under
 sections #dgi;,a and #dhj7;d77#a77;,i7 
to verify whether the student meets the 
special circumstances to qualify as an  
independent student4  7#c7 ,definition  

,for purposes of this subsection1 the   
term other independent students means   
students-- 7,a7 who meet the definition 
of independent under section            
#dhj7;d77#a72 and  7,b7 whose           
independent status is not subject to    
verification by a financial aid         
administrator under paragraph 7#b77;,b74
  4