,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cefj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bh1 #bjag,mr4 
,aguilar 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 give borrowers an option to 
extend the grace period prior to the    
beginning of the repayment period1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,grace   
,period ,alleviation ,act or the ,,gpa  
,act4  #b4 ,grace period adjustments    
,section #dee of the ,higher ,education 
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7 is
 amended--  7#a7 in subsection 7b71 by  
adding at the end the following3  7#aa7 
,repayment of interest ,the ,secretary1 
through a loan modification process1    
shall pay to each borrower who received 
a ,federal ,direct ,stafford ,loan for  
which the first disbursement was made   
during the period between ,july #a1     
#bjab1 and ,july #a1 #bjad1 an amount   

equal to the amount of interest that    
accrued on such loan prior to the       
beginning of the repayment period4  2   
and  7#b7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7r7 ,election of extended   
grace period  7#a7 ,in general ,the     
,secretary shall provide an opportunity 
for each borrower who receives a        
,federal ,direct ,stafford ,loan or     
,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford
 ,loan to elect a #ab-month grace period
 before beginning repayment on the loan4
 ,the ,secretary shall--  7,a7 notify   
each such borrower of the opportunity   
for such an election not later than #de 
days before the start of the borrower's 
repayment period on the loan2  7,b7     
advise each such borrower of the        
financial consequences of electing such 
#ab-month grace period2 and  7,c7 not   
require such a borrower to accept a     
#ab-month grace period1 unless the      
borrower specifically elects such       
#ab-month grace period not later than   
#ad days before the start of the        

borrower's repayment period on the loan4
  7#b7 ,application of section          
#dbh7;b77#g7 ,with respect to each      
borrower who makes an election for a    
#ab-month grace period under paragraph  
7#a7 of this subsection1 section        
#dbh7;b77#g7 shall be applied--  7,a7 in
 subparagraph 7,a71 as if or1 in the    
case of a student who makes an election 
under section #dee7r77#a71 #ab months   
were inserted after #f months2 and  7,b7
 in subparagraph 7,d71 as if or1 in the 
case of a student who makes an election 
under section #dee7r77#a71 the #ab-month
 period were inserted after #f-month    
period4  4