,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ejcc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #af1 #bjbj,mr4 ,booker 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 support college students to meet satisfactory academic progress4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,satisfactory ,academic ,progress ,reset and ,reform ,act4 #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are the following3 7#a7 ,to support college students to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements under the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq471 allowing them to continue receiving ,federal student aid and persist in college4 7#b7 ,to empower students who had lost access to ,federal student aid due to previously failing to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements under the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq47 to become eligible again for ,federal student aid after #b years away from college4 #c4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,satisfactory academic progress 7,,sap7 requirements for ,federal student aid programs have become increasingly strict and inflexible for students over the last #dj years4 7#b7 ,the increase in ,,sap requirements has made the need-based ,federal ,pell ,grant resemble a performance-based scholarship1 despite the disproportionately negative impact on students and families who are low-income4 7#c7 ,approximately #dj percent of first-year ,federal ,pell ,grant recipients risk losing ,federal student aid due to not meeting the credit completion component of ,,sap requirements4 7#d7 ,institutions are responsible for setting ,,sap requirements2 however1 ,federal statute establishes guidance for minimum grade point average 7,,gpa7 and credit completion standards4 7#e7 ,many institutions conduct an ,,sap status check every payment period1 allowing students at risk of not meeting the ,,sap standards to benefit from a one-term warning status before losing ,federal student aid or filing an appeal2 however1 students at institutions that only evaluate ,,sap status once per year are at risk of losing their ,federal student aid immediately upon learning of their status4 7#f7 ,while many students struggle to meet minimum academic standards1 current ,,sap policy targets students and families with the lowest incomes--those earning less than #ej1jjj per year4 ,federal student aid recipients with low ,g,p,as leave college more quickly than students with low ,g,p,as that do not rely on ,federal student aid4 7#g7 ,current ,,sap policy also disproportionately harms ,black1 ,latino1 and ,native ,american students4 ,in #bjae through #bjaf1 #eg percent of ,black students1 #dg percent of ,latino students1 and #ea percent of ,native ,american students relied on ,federal ,pell ,grants to pay for college1 while for that same year1 #ci percent of all undergraduate students received a ,federal ,pell ,grant4 7#h7 ,,sap requirements apply to all ,federal student aid under title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj et seq471 including ,federal ,pell ,grants1 ,federal ,direct ,loans1 and ,federal ,work-,study4 ,state and institutional need-based programs also often base their own requirements on the ,federal ,,sap rules4 #d4 ,satisfactory academic progress reset ,section #dhd7;c7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7;c77 is amended to read as follows3 7c7 ,satisfactory progress 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7,a7 ,appeal ,the term appeal means a process by which a student who is not meeting the institution's satisfactory academic progress standards petitions the institution for reconsideration of the student's eligibility for assistance under this title4 7,b7 ,financial aid probation ,the term financial aid probation means a status assigned by an institution to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress and who has appealed and has had eligibility for aid reinstated4 7,c7 ,financial aid warning ,the term financial aid warning means a status assigned to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress at the end of a semester or equivalent period4 7#b7 ,satisfactory academic progress policy ,an institution shall establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is making satisfactory academic progress in the student's educational program and may receive assistance under this title4 ,the ,secretary shall consider the institution's policy to be reasonable if-- 7,a7 the policy is at least as strict as the policy the institution applies to a student who is not receiving assistance under this title2 7,b7 the policy provides for consistent application of standards to all students within the category of students1 including full-time1 part-time1 undergraduate1 and graduate students1 and educational programs established by the institution2 7,c7 7i7 the policy specifies the grade point average 7,,gpa7 that a student must achieve at each evaluation1 or if a ,,gpa is not an appropriate qualitative measure1 a comparable assessment measured against a norm2 and 7ii7 if a student is enrolled in an educational program of more than #b academic years1 the policy specifies that at the end of the second academic year1 the student must have a ,,gpa of at least a ,c or its equivalent1 or have academic standing consistent with the institution's requirements for graduation2 7,d7 the policy provides for measurement of the student's progress at each evaluation2 7,e7 the policy describes-- 7i7 how a student's ,,gpa and progress toward completion are affected by course incompletes1 withdrawals1 or repetitions1 or transfers of credit from other institutions1 including that credit hours from another institution that are accepted toward the student's educational program are counted as both attempted and completed hours2 and 7ii7 how after a student reenrolls after the student's satisfactory academic progress was reset pursuant to paragraph 7#c77;,b71 the student may have any credits that were earned before the student was determined not to be making satisfactory academic progress counted for purposes of determining progress when the student reenrolls1 but any attempted hours 7including incompletes1 withdrawn courses1 and failed courses7 the student may have accumulated before the student was determined not to be making satisfactory academic progress would not negatively impact the determination of the student's making satisfactory academic progress after such reset2 7,f7 the policy provides that1 a student who has not achieved the required ,,gpa1 or who is not making progress toward completion in the student's educational program1 at the time of each evaluation with respect to a student who is in an educational program of #b academic years or less in length1 or at the end of the second academic year with respect to a student who is in an educational program of more than #b academic years in length1 is no longer eligible to receive assistance under this title1 except as provided in subparagraph 7,g7 with respect to a student placed on financial aid warning or financial aid probation2 7,g7 if the institution places students on financial aid warning1 or on financial aid probation1 the policy describes these statuses and that-- 7i7 a student on financial aid warning-- 7,i7 may receive assistance under this title for one payment period despite a determination that the student is not making satisfactory academic progress2 and 7,,ii7 may be assigned such status without an appeal or other action by the student2 and 7ii7 a student on financial aid probation may receive assistance under this title for one payment period and the institution may require the student to fulfill specific terms and conditions1 such as taking a reduced course load or enrolling in specific courses1 and1 at the end of such one payment period1 the student must meet the institution's satisfactory academic progress standards or meet the requirements of the academic plan developed by the institution and the student to qualify for continued assistance under this title2 7,h7 if the institution permits a student to appeal a determination by the institution that the student is not making satisfactory academic progress1 the policy describes-- 7i7 how the student may reestablish the student's eligibility to receive assistance under this title2 7ii7 the basis on which the student may file an appeal1 including because of the death of a relative1 an injury or illness of the student1 or another special circumstances2 and 7iii7 information the student must submit regarding why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress1 and what has changed in the student's situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation2 7,i7 if the institution does not permit a student to appeal a determination by the institution that the student is not making satisfactory academic progress1 the policy describes how the student may reestablish the student's eligibility to receive assistance under this title2 7,j7 the policy provides for notification to students of the results of an evaluation that impacts the student's eligibility for assistance under this title2 and 7,k7 the policy does not impose satisfactory progress limitations on institutional aid that are more stringent than the standard applied under this subsection without demonstrating to the ,secretary the effectiveness of such limitations on improving student persistence in1 and completion of1 postsecondary study4 7#c7 ,regaining eligibility 7,a7 ,students who remain in school ,whenever a student fails to meet the eligibility requirements of subsection 7a77#b7 as a result of the application of this subsection and subsequent to that failure the student has academic standing consistent with the requirements for graduation1 as determined by the institution1 for any grading period1 the student may1 subject to this subsection1 again be eligible under subsection 7a77#b7 for a grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title4 7,b7 ,students who leave school ,if a student has not been enrolled in any institution of higher education for the immediately preceding #b years1 any previous failure to meet the eligibility requirements of subsection 7a77#b7 shall not be used in any determination of eligibility of such student under such subsection4 ,such student described in the preceding sentence shall1 after the date of enrollment subsequent to such #b year period1 meet the requirements described in paragraph 7#b74 ,a student shall be eligible for a reset of eligibility pursuant to this paragraph not more than #b times4 ,the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 send a notification to each student who failed to meet the eligibility requirements of subsection 7a77#b7 once such student regains eligibility for a grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title pursuant to this paragraph1 including-- 7,i7 information that the student may use grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title for enrollment at any eligible institution1 not just the institution in which the student was previously enrolled2 7,,ii7 information on how many semesters of eligibility for a grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title to which the student still has access2 and 7,,iii7 that the student should ask any prospective eligible institution how many of the student's previously completed credits the student would be able to transfer2 and 7ii7 submit an annual report to ,congress on the outcomes of students who have received a reset of eligibility pursuant to this paragraph1 including-- 7,i7 the number of students who reenroll in an eligible institution after such reset1 disaggregated by race or ethnicity1 sex1 age1 socioeconomic status1 and disability status2 7,,ii7 the #bej eligible institutions with the highest numbers of enrolled students receiving grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title after such a reset2 and 7,,iii7 the average completion rate and time to completion for students who reenroll in an eligible institution after such reset1 broken down by institution4 7#d7 ,evaluation of academic progress 7,a7 ,in general ,an institution that determines that a student is not making progress under its policy may disburse funds under this title to the student subject to this paragraph4 7,b7 ,payment period following not making academic progress ,for the payment period following the payment period in which a student did not make satisfactory academic progress1 the institution may place the student on financial aid warning and disburse funds under this title to the student4 7,c7 ,payment period following financial aid warning ,for the payment period following a payment period during which a student was on financial aid warning1 the institution may place the student on financial aid probation1 and disburse funds under this title to the student if-- 7i7 the institution evaluates the student's progress and determines that student did not make satisfactory academic progress during the payment period the student was on financial aid warning2 7ii7 the student appeals the determination2 and 7iii7 7,i7 the institution determines that the student should be able to meet the institution's satisfactory academic progress standards by the end of the subsequent payment period2 or 7,,ii7 the institution develops an academic plan for the student that1 if followed1 will ensure that the student is able to meet the institution's satisfactory academic progress standards by a specific point in time4 7,d7 ,payment period following financial aid probation ,a student on financial aid probation for a payment period may not receive funds under this title for the subsequent payment period unless the student makes satisfactory academic progress or the institution determines that the student met the requirements specified by the institution in the academic plan for the student4 4 #e4 ,communicating satisfactory academic progress standards 7a7 ,in general ,section #dhd7;c7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7;c771 as amended by section #d1 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7#e7 ,detailing requirements to students ,each institution of higher education that enrolls students who receive any grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title shall detail the institution's requirements regarding students maintaining satisfactory progress-- 7,a7 to such students before the students begin classes at the institution through a detailed communication that may be separate from a financial aid offer2 and 7,b7 on the financial aid web page of the website of the institution4 4 7b7 ,consumer testing ,the ,secretary of ,education-- 7#a7 shall conduct consumer testing to develop exemplary practices and templates-- 7,a7 to support institutions of higher education in carrying out section #dhd7;c77#e7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7;c77#e772 and 7,b7 which shall be available as resources for institutions of higher education2 and 7#b7 shall not require the use of such practices and templates by institutions of higher education4 7c7 ,effective date ,this section and the amendment made by this section shall take effect on-- 7#a7 the first ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act2 or 7#b7 if the first ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act is less than #f months from such date of enactment1 the second ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act4 #f4 ,frequency of satisfactory academic progress evaluation and communication 7a7 ,in general ,section #dhd7;c77#d7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7;c771 as amended by section #d1 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7,e7 ,frequency of academic progress evaluation and communication 7i7 ,in general ,subject to clause 7ii71 for the purpose of determining whether presently enrolled students are maintaining satisfactory progress1 each institution of higher education that enrolls students who receive any grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title shall review the progress of such students at the end of each payment period 7as described in section #ffh4d of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor regulation74 7ii7 ,shorter payment periods ,for institutions described in clause 7i7 that have payment periods that are shorter than on the semester system basis 7such as on a quarterly or trimester systems basis or by clock hour program or non-term program71 such institutions shall review the progress of presently enrolled students at the end of each semester or equivalent period of #ab to #ah weeks4 7iii7 ,financial aid warning ,each institution described in clause 7i71 at the end of the payment period 7or at the end of the semester or equivalent period for institutions described in clause 7ii771 shall send a financial aid warning to presently enrolled students that do not meet the ,,gpa requirement described in paragraph 7#b71 or its equivalent or academic standing consistent with the requirements for graduation1 as determined by the institution1 that informs the students of their risk of being determined to not be maintaining satisfactory progress and therefore losing eligibility for grant1 loan1 or work assistance under this title and provides information on-- 7,i7 the specific criteria of the institution's academic requirements that the student is not meeting and the specific improvements needed to meet the requirements2 and 7,,ii7 how to meet with the student's academic advisor to get the academic support the student needs4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,this section and the amendment made by this section shall take effect on-- 7#a7 the first ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act2 or 7#b7 if the first ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act is less than #f months from such date of enactment1 the second ,july #cj following the date of enactment of this ,act4 #g4 ,leveraging the strengthening institutions program to support students not meeting satisfactory academic progress requirements ,section #caa7;c77#f7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajeg7;c77#f77 is amended by inserting 7especially students not meeting satisfactory academic progress requirements7 after retain students4