,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #baid ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #a1 #bjad,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,reed1 and ,mr4 ,whitehouse7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to improve the ,federal ,pell ,grant program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,pell ,grant ,protection ,act4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to restore the role of ,federal ,pell ,grants as the foundational ,federal investment in higher education1 in order to strengthen the economy of the ,united ,states by improving opportunities for low-income students to complete higher education and join the middle class4 #c4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,federal ,pell ,grants provided under section #dja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7 7referred to in this ,act as ,federal ,pell ,grants7 have historically been the fundamental ,federal investment in helping low-income students pay for college and enter the middle class4 ,in the #aigi-aihj academic year1 the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant paid for #gg percent of the average cost of attendance at an in-,state1 #d-year institution of higher education4 ,however1 in the #bjab-bjac academic year1 the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant covered only about #cj percent of that average cost of attendance4 7#b7 ,the program providing ,federal ,pell ,grants already acts as a quasi-entitlement1 in which both mandatory funding and discretionary funding combine to maintain a maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant amount4 7#c7 ,the ,congressional ,budget ,office reports on any overall financial surplus or shortfall in the funding provided for the ,federal ,pell ,grant program4 ,however1 in recent years1 in order to meet the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant level with the provided level of funding1 ,congress has made cuts to the program through imposing additional eligibility requirements for ,federal ,pell ,grants and limiting the availability of year-round ,federal ,pell ,grants1 causing significant uncertainty and reducing access to higher education for millions of hardworking college students4 7#d7 ,removing the ,federal ,pell ,grant program from the uncertainty of the congressional discretionary appropriations process will improve student access to1 and the affordability of1 higher education4 7#e7 ,the traditional student who attends college for #d years immediately after high school is now a minority of college students today4 ,ambitious students now need more flexibility to attend school year-round while juggling work schedules4 7#f7 ,section #ahfj of the ,department of ,defense and ,full-,year ,continuing ,appropriations ,act1 #bjaa 7,public ,law #aab-aj1 #abe ,stat4 #afi7 eliminated the provision of the ,federal ,pell ,grant program of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a et seq47 that allowed #b ,federal ,pell ,grant awards per year1 creating significant hardship for many students trying to take courses over the summer or outside the traditional school calendar4 ,allowing students to continue to receive ,federal ,pell ,grants in successive semesters1 without a gap1 would reduce the time needed to complete their degrees4 #d4 ,converting the traditional ,federal ,pell ,grant program to a mandatory spending program 7a7 ,legislative provisions ,section #dja7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 by striking clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 and inserting the following3 7i7 7,i7 for award year #bjad-bjae1 #e1gcj2 or 7,,ii7 for award year #bjae-bjaf and each subsequent award year1 the amount of the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant determined under this clause for the immediately preceding award year1 increased by a percentage equal to the estimated percentage increase1 if any1 in the ,consumer ,price ,index 7as determined by the ,secretary1 using the definition in section #dgh7;f77 for the most recent calendar year ending prior to the beginning of that award year2 plus 7ii7 any additional amount specified for the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant in the last enacted appropriation ,act applicable to that award year1 less 2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7,c7 7i7 ,for fiscal year #bjae and each succeeding fiscal year1 there are appropriated1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 such sums as may be necessary to provide1 in combination with any amounts separately appropriated under subparagraph 7,a77ii71 ,federal ,pell ,grants under this section in the amount specified in subparagraph 7,a7 to all eligible students4 7ii7 ,the amounts made available by clause 7i7 for any fiscal year shall be available beginning on ,october #a of that fiscal year1 and shall remain available through ,september #cj of the succeeding fiscal year4 2 and 7#b7 by striking paragraph 7#g74 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall apply with respect to ,federal ,pell ,grants awarded under section #dja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7 for award year #bjad-bjae and each succeeding award year4 #e4 ,year-,round ,federal ,pell ,grant students 7a7 ,in general ,section #dja7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7b771 as amended by section #d1 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7#g7 ,year-,round ,federal ,pell ,grant students 7,a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection1 the ,secretary shall award1 to an eligible student who has received a ,federal ,pell ,grant for an award year and is enrolled in a program of study for #a or more additional payment periods during the same award year that are not otherwise covered by the student's ,federal ,pell ,grant1 an additional ,federal ,pell ,grant for the additional payment periods4 7,b7 ,amounts ,in the case of a student receiving more than one ,federal ,pell ,grant in a single award year under subparagraph 7,a71 the total amount of the ,federal ,pell ,grants awarded to such student for the award year may exceed the total maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant for such award year1 as calculated under clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 of paragraph 7#b77;,a74 7,c7 ,inclusion in duration limit ,any period of study covered by a ,federal ,pell ,grant awarded under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be included in determining a student's duration limit under subsection 7c77#e74 7#h7 ,crossover period ,in any case where an eligible student is receiving a ,federal ,pell ,grant for a payment period that spans #b award years1 the ,secretary shall allow the eligible institution in which the student is enrolled to determine the award year to which the additional period shall be assigned4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall take effect on ,july #a1 #bjad4