,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eefh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ah1 #bjad
 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas 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     
direct the ,secretary of ,education to  
award interest-free student loans to    
certain students1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,b-,on-,time        
,student ,loan ,relief ,act of #bjad4   
#b4 ,b-,on-,time ,loans and ,loan       
,forgiveness ,title ,,iv of the ,higher 
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajgj et seq47 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new part3  ,j     
,b-,on-,time ,loans  #dii;,a4 ,loan     
requirements  7a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary shall carry out a program    
to--  7#a7 award loans with an          
applicable rate of interest of zero to  
eligible students for study at an       

institution of higher education2 and    
7#b7 forgive the outstanding principal  
on such loans awarded to students who   
meet the requirements of subsection 7c74
  7b7 ,student eligibility for loans ,to
 be eligible to receive a loan under    
subsection 7a77#a71 a student shall meet
 any requirements that the ,secretary   
may require1 which shall include        
requirements that the student--  7#a7   
7,a7 has graduated on or after the      
#bjac-bjad school year from a secondary 
school in the ,united ,states or a      
secondary school operated by the        
,department of ,defense1 or its         
equivalent2 or  7,b7 has earned an      
associate's degree from an institution  
of higher education on or after ,may #a1
 #bjac2  7#b7 has not earned a          
bachelor's degree2  7#c7 is enrolled as 
a full-time student in an undergraduate 
degree or certificate program at an     
institution of higher education2 and    
7#d7 has completed a ,,fafsa and meets  
the requirements of section #dhd7;a74   

7c7 ,student eligibility for loan       
forgiveness ,to be eligible to receive  
loan forgiveness under subsection       
7a77#b71 a student shall meet any       
requirements that the ,secretary may    
require1 which shall include            
requirements that the student--  7#a7   
receives a bachelor's degree within a   
set timeframe1 as determined by the     
,secretary2  7#b7 while enrolled at the 
program of study at an institution of   
higher education for which the student  
received a loan under subsection        
7a77#a7--  7,a7 has maintained a certain
 grade point average2 or  7,b7 has      
majored in a science1 technology1       
engineering1 or mathematics field2 and  
7#c7 meets any other requirements as    
determined by the ,secretary4  7d7      
,priority ,the ,secretary shall award   
loans under subsection 7a77#a7 and grant
 loan forgiveness under subsection      
7a77#b7 on a first-come1 first-served   
basis1 and subject to the availability  
of appropriations4  7e7 ,rule of        

,construction ,nothing in this section  
shall be construed to prohibit a student
 from applying for other financial      
assistance under this title4  7f7       
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this section such sums as may 
be necessary for fiscal year #bjae and  
each succeeding fiscal year through     
fiscal year #bjbd4  4