,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddfe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #f1    
#bjbj,ms4 ,smith 7for herself1 ,ms4     
,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,casey7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the     
,higher ,education ,act of #aife to     
establish an emergency grant aid        
program1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,emergency ,grant ,aid for ,college 
,students ,act4  #b4 ,emergency         
financial aid grant program ,part ,a of 
title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education    
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;b et 
seq47 is amended by adding at the end   
the following3  #aa ,emergency          
,financial ,aid ,grants  #dbj,t4        
,emergency financial aid grant program  
7a7 ,emergency financial aid grant      
programs authorized ,the ,secretary     
shall carry out a grant program to make 

grants1 in accordance with subsection   
7b71 to eligible entities to provide    
emergency financial aid grants to       
eligible students in accordance with    
subsection 7c74  7b7 ,application  7#a7 
,in general ,each eligible entity       
desiring to carry out an emergency grant
 aid program under this section shall   
submit an application to the ,secretary1
 at such time1 in such manner1 and      
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require4  7#b7 ,outreach 
,the ,secretary shall1 at least #fj days
 before each deadline to submit         
applications under paragraph 7#a71      
conduct outreach to institutions of     
higher education1 and systems of higher 
education1 eligible for assistance under
 title ,,iii or ,v1 to provide such     
institutions with information on the    
opportunity to apply under paragraph    
7#a7 to carry out an emergency grant aid
 program under this section4  7#c7      
,contents ,each application under       
paragraph 7#a7 shall include a          

description of the emergency grant aid  
program to be carried out by the        
eligible entity1 including-- 7,a7 an    
estimate of the number of emergency     
financial aid grants that such entity   
will make in an award year and how such 
eligible entity assessed such estimate2 
7,b7 the criteria the eligible entity   
will use to determine an emergency for  
which an eligible student will be       
eligible to receive an emergency        
financial aid grant2  7,c7 an assurance 
that an emergency for which an eligible 
student will be eligible to receive an  
emergency financial aid grant will      
include financial challenges related to 
any component of the student's cost of  
attendance or financial challenges that 
would impact the ability of an eligible 
student to continue the course of study 
of such student1 including-- 7i7 a loss 
of employment 7including a temporary    
loss of employment7 or a reduction in   
pay or hours2  7ii7 costs related to    
transportation1 child care1 utilities1  

or housing of the student2  7iii7 a     
medical condition or health needs1      
including pregnancy and mental health1  
of the student1 or a spouse or dependent
 of the student2  7iv7 with respect to  
the eligible student1 food insecurity2  
and  7v7 in the case of an eligible     
student who is a dependent student--    
7,i7 the death of a parent or guardian  
of such eligible student2 or  7,,ii7 a  
medical condition of the parent or      
guardian of such eligible student which 
results in the loss of employment       
7including a temporary loss of          
employment7 of such parent or guardian2 
7,d7 an assurance that the eligible     
entity1 when applicable1 will make      
information available to eligible       
students about the eligibility of such  
students1 and their dependents as       
applicable1 for assistance under-- 7i7  
the supplemental security income program
 under title ,,xvi of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acha et  
seq472  7ii7 the supplemental nutrition 

assistance program under the ,food and  
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjaa et seq472  7iii7 the free and     
reduced price school lunch program      
established under the ,richard ,b4      
,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq472  7iv7 the
 program of block grants for ,states for
 temporary assistance for needy families
 established under part ,a of title ,,iv
 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #fja et seq472  7v7 the       
special supplemental nutrition program  
for women1 infants1 and children        
established by section #ag of the ,child
 ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4
 #aghf72  7vi7 ,medicaid program under  
title ,,xix of the ,social ,security    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq472     
7vii7 ,federal housing assistance       
programs1 including tenant-based        
assistance under section #h7o7 of the   
,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f7o771 and public  
housing1 as defined in section          

#c7;b77#a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#adcg;a7b77#a772 and  7viii7 any other  
means-tested program determined by the  
,secretary to be appropriate2  7,e7 how 
the eligible entity will administer the 
emergency grant aid program1 including--
 7i7 the process by which an eligible   
student may apply for and receive an    
emergency grant1 including an           
opportunity to do so online2  7ii7 the  
processes the eligible entity will use  
to respond to applications1 approve     
applications1 and disburse emergency    
financial aid grants1 including outside 
of normal business hours2 and  7iii7 how
 the eligible entity will advertise     
emergency grants to eligible students2  
7,f7 an assurance that the process by   
which an eligible student applies for an
 emergency financial aid grant includes 
at least one opportunity to appeal a    
denial of such a grant2  7,g7 an        
assurance that the eligible entity will 
acknowledge receipt of a student's      
request and fund approved applications  

not later than #aj business days after  
the date of the approval2  7,h7 a       
description of how the eligible entity  
will prioritize eligible students with  
financial need to receive emergency     
financial aid grants2 and  7,i7 any     
other information the ,secretary may    
require4  7#d7 ,priority ,in selecting  
eligible entities to carry out an       
emergency grant aid program under this  
section1 the ,secretary may give        
priority to-- 7,a7 an eligible entity   
that is a community college or has an   
admissions rate that is #ej percent or  
higher2  7,b7 an eligible entity that is
 eligible to receive a grant under part 
,a or ,b of title ,,iii or title ,v1    
including-- 7i7 a historically ,black   
college or university2  7ii7 a          
,hispanic-serving institution2  7iii7 a 
,tribal ,college or ,university2 or     
7iv7 a minority-serving institution2    
7,c7 an eligible entity that is a       
rural-serving institution2  7,d7 an     
eligible entity located in-- 7i7 a      

census tract or region in which is      
located a local educational agency that 
receives special assistance payments    
under section #aa7;a77#a77;,f7 of the   
,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school 
,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4              
#agei;a7a77#a77;,f772 or  7ii7 an area  
of deep poverty where #dj percent or    
more of the population are at or below  
the ,federal poverty line1 as measured  
by the decennial ,census2 or  7,e7 an   
eligible entity in which not less than  
#cj percent of the students enrolled at 
such eligible entity are eligible to    
receive a ,federal ,pell ,grant4  7c7   
,use of funds  7#a7 ,in general ,an     
eligible entity may only use funds      
provided under this section to make     
emergency financial aid grants to       
eligible students4  7#b7 ,amount of     
awards  7,a7 ,in general ,an eligible   
student may receive an amount under this
 section that would cause the amount of 
total financial aid received by such    
student to exceed the cost of attendance

 of the institution of higher education 
in which the student is enrolled4  7,b7 
,maximum amounts received ,an eligible  
student may not receive a cumulative    
amount under this section for an        
academic year that is more than the     
maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant available 
for such academic year4  7#c7           
,determinations ,in determining         
eligibility for and awarding emergency  
financial aid grants under this section1
 an eligible entity may-- 7,a7 waive the
 amount of need calculation under       
section #dga2 and  7,b7 utilize a       
contract with a scholarship-granting    
organization designated for the sole    
purpose of accepting applications from1 
or disbursing funds to1 students        
enrolled in the institution of higher   
education1 if such scholarship-granting 
organization disburses the full         
allocated amount provided to the        
institution of higher education to the  
student recipients4  7d7 ,reporting and 
oversight  7#a7 ,in general ,not less   

frequently than once annually1 each     
eligible entity that receives a grant   
under this section shall submit to the  
,secretary a report on the progress of  
the eligible entity in carrying out the 
programs supported by such grant4  7#b7 
,form of report ,the report under       
paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted to the
 ,secretary at such time1 in such       
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may require4 ,the     
,secretary shall issue uniform          
guidelines describing the information   
that shall be reported by grantees under
 such paragraph4  7#c7 ,content of      
report  7,a7 ,in general ,the report    
under paragraph 7#a7 shall include1 at  
minimum1 the following3 7i7 ,whether the
 eligible entity required an application
 for emergency financial aid grants4    
7ii7 ,the average1 minimum1 and maximum 
amount of grants made available to      
eligible students1 including any        
average1 minimum1 or maximum grant      
levels made to any specific subgroups of

 eligible students1 including the       
subgroups listed in clause 7iii74  7iii7
 ,a description of any specific         
subgroups of eligible students who were 
prioritized for the emergency financial 
aid grants1 including students of color1
 low-income students1 first-generation  
college students1 students with         
disabilities1 ,english learners1        
students experiencing homelessness1     
former foster youth1 or student parents4
  7iv7 ,the number of eligible students 
who received an emergency financial aid 
grant1 including the number of eligible 
students who received more than one such
 grant1 and the number of eligible      
students in each of the subgroups       
described in clause 7iii7 who received  
an emergency financial aid grant1       
including the number of eligible        
students in each of such subgroups who  
received more than one such grant4  7v7 
,the types of emergencies declared and  
frequencies of emergencies declared by  
eligible students4  7vi7 ,the number of 

students who applied for an emergency   
financial aid grant1 including the      
number of eligible students in each of  
the subgroups described in clause 7iii7 
who applied for an emergency financial  
aid grant4  7vii7 ,the number of        
students who were denied such a grant4  
7viii7 ,the number of students who      
appealed a denial of such grant4  7ix7  
,the average amount of time it took an  
eligible entity to respond to requests  
for such a grant and the average amount 
of time it took the eligible entity to  
award or deny such a grant4  7x7 ,a     
description and amount of any           
institutional funds used to supplement  
emergency financial aid grants provided 
in accordance with this section4  7xi7  
,outcomes of the eligible students who  
received such a grant1 including rates  
of persistence1 retention1 and          
completion4  7xii7 ,a description of the
 method used to disburse emergency      
grants to students4  7e7 ,determination 
of awards ,notwithstanding any other    

provision of law1 an eligible entity    
that receives a grant under this section
 shall solely determine which students  
receive emergency financial aid grants  
under this section4  7f7 ,special rules 
,an emergency financial aid grant       
awarded to a student under this         
section-- 7#a7 shall not be treated as  
other financial assistance for the      
purposes of section #dga2  7#b7 shall   
not be considered-- 7,a7 in determining 
the amount of aid for which the student 
is eligible under this title for any    
succeeding academic year2 and  7,b7 in  
determining eligibility for other public
 benefits for any succeeding academic   
year2 and  7#c7 shall not be included in
 the gross income of such student for   
purposes of the ,internal ,revenue ,code
 of #aihf4  7g7 ,definitions ,in this   
section3 7#a7 ,eligible entity ,the term
 eligible entity means an institution of
 higher education4  7#b7 ,eligible      
student ,the term eligible student means
 any student who is enrolled in an      

eligible entity4  7#c7 ,institution of  
higher education ,the term institution  
of higher education has the meaning     
given the term in section #aja or       
#ajb7;c74  7h7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section such sums as may be necessary   
for each of fiscal years #bjba through  
#bjbf4  4