Education (Student Financial Aid)

in committee · United States · House Dec 18, 2025

HR 4054: Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act to reform how accrediting agencies evaluate institutions of higher education. It establishes new criteria for accrediting agencies to demonstrate independence from trade associations, allows states to designate industry-specific quality assurance entities as accrediting agencies, and creates protections for religious institutions to maintain accreditation based on their religious mission. The bill requires accrediting agencies to use risk-based review processes that adjust oversight based on institutional performance, publicly share accreditation data, and provides religious institutions with a new process to challenge accreditation decisions they believe fail to respect their religious mission. These changes directly affect accrediting agencies, higher education institutions, and students by altering the accreditation evaluation process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationReforms accreditation standards to increase institutional flexibility and protect religious mission, strengthening higher education oversight framework85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · United States · House Apr 1, 2025

HR 2543: Tax-Free Pell Grant Act

This bill makes Federal Pell Grants tax-free for students, removing the tax burden on these federal education awards. It also expands the American Opportunity Tax Credit to cover eligible child care costs (for students enrolled in school) and up to $1,000 for computer equipment or internet access used for education. These changes apply to tax returns filed for 2025 and later. The bill directly affects students receiving Pell Grants and those claiming the American Opportunity Credit for educational expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMakes Pell Grants tax-free and expands education tax credits, providing direct tax relief for students and families.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMakes Pell Grants tax-free and expands tax credits for education-related costs (child care, tech), directly increasing financial support for students and improving access to higher education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly covers internet access costs under tax credit expansion for education, directly advancing technology access for students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education Student Financial Aid Broadband Access

Track

in committee · United States · Senate May 14, 2025

S 1752: EdCOPS Act of 2025

The EdCOPS Act of 2025 creates a new education assistance program to support public safety officers and their families. It provides direct financial aid for higher education to eligible officers who have served at least 8 years with one employer and commit to continuing for 4 more years, or to their children under age 27. The aid, calculated using the same formula as the GI Bill, covers up to 45 months of full-time education or a proportional part-time period. The Attorney General administers the program, prioritizing applicants with financial need through a sliding scale, and requires recipients to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides direct financial aid for higher education via GI Bill-style formula, expanding access for public safety officers and families.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides education benefits to public safety officers, expanding employment-related financial support through GI Bill-equivalent aid for workforce development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 3401: Pathways to Prosperity Act

The Pathways to Prosperity Act creates a new grant program to strengthen workforce development at community colleges. It provides competitive grants to community colleges to develop programs that prepare students for high-skill, high-wage jobs through partnerships with employers in growing industries. The bill requires colleges to use proven methods, create credentials that can be used across different jobs or built upon for further training, and track outcomes like program completion and job advancement. It also establishes performance metrics for program evaluation and requires transparent public reporting of results. This legislation primarily affects community colleges, students, and workers seeking career advancement in specific industry sectors.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides competitive grants to community colleges for workforce programs, strengthening higher education access and training through employer partnerships95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates grants for community college workforce programs targeting high-wage jobs, enhancing job readiness and employment outcomes through employer partnerships and credential tracking.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Financial Aid Apprenticeships Workforce Development

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 17, 2025

S 2330: Preparing And Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act

This bill creates a federal grant program to help schools recruit and retain paraprofessionals - school support staff like teaching assistants - who work directly with students but lack full teaching credentials. It allocates funds to states based on prior Title I education funding, requiring states to prioritize schools serving high numbers of low-income students or designated "high-need" schools. Funds can be used for mentoring programs, professional development, credentialing (like special education or English learner certificates), and wage increases or bonuses for paraprofessionals. The program mandates annual reporting on wage baselines, paraprofessional numbers, and how funds were used to address shortages.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates federal grant program allocating funds for paraprofessional recruitment/retention in schools, increasing government spending on public education services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFederal grants for paraprofessional recruitment/retention, mentoring, and credentialing in high-need schools directly fund and strengthen educator support systems.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds professional development and credentialing for paraprofessionals, enhancing employment standards and retention - directly supports labor & employment through career advancement opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Special Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

Track

in committee · United States · House May 15, 2025

HR 3436: Law Enforcement Education Grant Program Act of 2025

This bill establishes the Law Enforcement Education Grant Program, providing $4,000 annual grants to students pursuing associate or bachelor's degrees in law enforcement or criminal justice. To qualify, students must be enrolled at approved institutions, complete required coursework, and agree to serve as full-time law enforcement officers for four years within eight years of graduation. Failure to fulfill this service obligation requires repayment of the grants as federal loans, with repayment terms mirroring unsubsidized Stafford Loans. The program is funded separately from Pell Grants and Direct Loans, with a lifetime cap of $16,000 per recipient.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides $4,000 annual grants for higher education in law enforcement/criminal justice, directly funding a specific higher education program. This supports education topic as defined.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4727: To codify Executive Order 14235 relating to restoring public service loan forgiveness.

HR 4727 codifies Executive Order 14235 into law, making its provisions about restoring public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) permanent. This bill directly affects federal student loan borrowers working in qualifying public service jobs who were previously excluded from PSLF under the order. The key mechanism converts the executive order's policy changes - allowing more borrowers to qualify for loan forgiveness after public service work - into binding law, ensuring the policy remains in effect regardless of future administration changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill makes PSLF permanent for public service workers, including educators, supporting teacher retention and higher education access by reducing student debt burdens.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · United States · House Feb 7, 2025

HR 1151: Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act

This bill expands 529 college savings account flexibility by allowing funds to cover costs for industry-recognized postsecondary credentials, not just traditional degrees. It defines "qualified expenses" to include tuition/fees for recognized credential programs (like certifications or apprenticeships), required testing fees, and continuing education needed to maintain credentials. To qualify, programs must meet specific criteria, such as appearing on state lists under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or being listed in VA or Defense directories. The change applies to 529 distributions made after the law's enactment, giving families more options to use these accounts for job-focused training.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands 529 account use for industry credentials (certifications/apprenticeships), increasing access to funding for non-traditional workforce education pathways beyond degrees.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands 529 savings to cover industry credentials (certifications/apprenticeships), directly enhancing workforce development and employment opportunities through accessible training pathways.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Financial Aid Apprenticeships Professional Licensing Workforce Development

Track

in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2025

HR 1641: Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act

This bill requires the Department of Education to publish detailed information about career and technical education (CTE) programs on its website, including average completion time, program cost, post-graduation employment rates, and state-specific funding opportunities under the Perkins Act. It also mandates adding a one-page summary of this CTE data to the FAFSA application, requiring students to acknowledge it during the initial financial aid process. The policy directly affects students applying for federal student aid by making CTE pathways visible early in their decision-making. No new funding is authorized for these requirements, relying instead on existing resources to update website content and integrate the FAFSA disclosure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates CTE data transparency on FAFSA to inform student financial aid decisions, enhancing educational access and career pathway awareness.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · United States · House Jul 29, 2025

HR 4806: College Transparency Act

The College Transparency Act requires the federal government to create a new student data system that collects and shares information about college enrollment, costs, completion rates, and post-graduation outcomes. This system will directly affect colleges and universities (which must submit data), students (whose information is collected with privacy protections), and families (who will access the data to make informed education decisions). The bill mandates the development of a public website providing customizable, aggregate data on student demographics, costs, and outcomes, while prohibiting the collection of sensitive information like health records or political affiliation. The system aims to reduce reporting burdens on institutions by consolidating data collection and making information more transparent for prospective students. It includes strong privacy and security requirements to protect student information, with the data system to be developed within four years of the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a data system for college transparency to help students/families make informed decisions, supporting educational access through better information.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates privacy protections for a federal student data system, directly supporting data privacy (a Technology topic) as specified in the topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Data Privacy Tags Data Reporting

Track