Education (Higher Education)

in committee · United States · House Feb 5, 2025

HR 1033: COLUMBIA Act of 2025

HR 1033, the COLUMBIA Act of 2025, requires the U.S. Secretary of Education to appoint independent antisemitism monitors at colleges and universities receiving federal funding under the Higher Education Act that have been identified as having a high incidence of antisemitic activity. These monitors must operate under formal agreements with institutions, provide quarterly public reports on progress toward reducing antisemitism, and submit annual recommendations to Congress and school leadership. The bill directly affects federally funded higher education institutions with documented antisemitism concerns, focusing on monitoring and reporting rather than direct sanctions. It mandates transparency through publicly available reports while outlining a structured process for oversight under the Department of Education's authority.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires antisemitism monitoring at colleges to reduce discrimination, supporting safer educational access for Jewish students.70% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · United States · Senate May 6, 2025

S 1610: Tax-Free Pell Grant Act

This bill makes Federal Pell Grants tax-free for students. It amends the tax code to exclude Pell Grants used for tuition and related expenses from taxable income, directly affecting undergraduate and graduate students receiving these grants. The key provision ensures Pell Grants are treated like other scholarships for tax purposes, preventing them from being counted as income. The change applies to tax returns filed for 2026 and later.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMakes Pell Grants tax-free, providing direct tax relief to students by excluding them from taxable income, aligning with tax relief for lower/middle income.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMakes Pell Grants tax-free, increasing effective grant value and improving higher education access for students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2026

HR 7740: African American History Act of 2026

HR 7740, the African American History Act of 2026, authorizes $4 million annually for the National Museum of African American History and Culture to develop educational resources and support teaching about African American history. The bill directs the museum to create digital and print materials, provide teacher training, and expand access to curriculum resources for K-12 and college classrooms. It requires annual reports to Congress on fund usage and expires in 2030. This program directly affects educators and students by enhancing classroom materials and professional development on African American history.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds $4M annually for curriculum resources, teacher training, and K-12/college access to advance African American history education, directly strengthening educational content and access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education K-12 Education

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 880: Fair College Admissions for Students Act

S 880, the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, bans colleges receiving federal student aid from giving preferential treatment to applicants based on family connections to donors or alumni. This amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 directly affects all institutions participating in federal financial aid programs. The key provision prohibits schools from considering an applicant’s relationship to donors (like major contributors) or alumni (like family members who graduated) during admissions decisions. The ban takes effect starting with the second academic year after the bill becomes law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits preferential college admissions based on donor/alumni ties, promoting equitable access to higher education under federal aid programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Feb 7, 2025

HR 1132: To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the Secretary of Labor to award grants to community colleges for high-quality workforce development programs.

This bill creates a new grant program to fund high-quality workforce development programs at community colleges. It directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to community colleges that partner with employers in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries to develop programs leading to nationally or regionally portable postsecondary credentials. The grants require evidence-based program design, employer engagement, and tracking of outcomes like program completion rates and job advancement for participants. Funded at $65 million annually from 2026-2031, the program prioritizes serving individuals with employment barriers, incumbent workers, and new workforce entrants through community college partnerships.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates federal grants for community college workforce programs, directly funding higher education initiatives to strengthen training and credentials.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds community college workforce development programs with employer partnerships, creating high-skill job pathways and tracking employment outcomes, directly advancing employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Apprenticeships Workforce Development

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 27, 2025

S 801: Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act

The Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act (S 801) ends most federal student loans after September 30, 2028, replacing them with a simplified loan program featuring fixed interest rates, capped borrowing limits (e.g., $30,000 total for dependent undergraduate students), and standardized repayment terms (15 years for undergrads, 25 years for graduate students). The bill eliminates most student loan forgiveness options for loans issued on or after July 1, 2025, while requiring colleges to publish detailed transparency data about student outcomes, costs, and financial aid on their websites. It also establishes a penalty for institutions with high student loan default rates and allows states to develop their own accreditation systems for higher education programs, affecting students, colleges, and the broader higher education landscape.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationEliminates student loan forgiveness options and caps borrowing limits, restricting higher education financial access and affordability.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Apr 10, 2025

HR 2899: PROTECT Students Act of 2025

The PROTECT Students Act of 2025 establishes new financial transparency requirements for higher education programs, measuring debt-to-earnings ratios and earnings premiums to help students evaluate program value and financial outcomes. It strengthens borrower defense mechanisms allowing students to seek loan forgiveness for misleading practices by institutions and prohibits schools from restricting students' legal rights through arbitration agreements. The bill requires institutions to spend at least 30% of tuition revenue on instruction and student services, with annual reporting to the Department of Education. It creates an enforcement unit within the Office of Federal Student Aid to investigate misconduct and increases transparency by requiring public disclosure of complaint data, financial information, and oversight activities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens student financial protections in higher education via debt-to-earnings transparency, borrower defense for misleading institutions, and bans restrictive arbitration agreements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Feb 18, 2025

HR 1409: College Thriving Act

HR 1409, the College Thriving Act, authorizes $50 million in grants to fund "skills-for-success" courses for first-year college students at eligible institutions. The bill requires participating colleges to develop non-graded, low-student-to-teacher courses covering mental wellbeing, time management, conflict resolution, and campus resource connections - available to all first-year students at the start of their enrollment. Grants are awarded competitively, with priority to schools where at least half of students qualify for Pell Grants, and must be used over a 5-year period across four phases: course development (year 1), pilot testing (year 2), and full implementation with ongoing evaluation (years 3-5). The program mandates annual reporting on course implementation and outcomes to the Department of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes $50M grants for mandatory first-year student success courses, funding new educational programs to enhance wellbeing and resource access in higher education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates $50M for mental wellbeing courses and campus resource connections, directly supporting mental health services for college students.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

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in committee · United States · Senate Sep 18, 2025

S 2892: Jumpstart on College Act

The Jumpstart on College Act would provide $250 million annually for six years to expand early college high schools and dual enrollment programs, with a focus on serving low-income students and underrepresented groups. It creates two grant programs: one for partnerships between institutions of higher education and local schools, and another for states to develop statewide strategies for program expansion. Recipients must serve at least 51% low-income students, provide matching funds (ranging from 20-50% of grant amounts), and collect data on student outcomes. States must identify barriers to program access and update high school diploma requirements to align with college readiness standards. The law requires annual reporting on program effectiveness, including disaggregated data for different student populations to track progress toward postsecondary credential completion.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $250M annually to expand early college/higher education access for low-income students, directly funding educational pathways and increasing K-12/higher ed opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education

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passed · United States · Senate Dec 15, 2025

S 610: Ensuring VetSuccess On Campus Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand its VetSuccess on Campus program to have at least one location in every U.S. state. It mandates that each state must have at least one VA counselor dedicated to supporting veterans at participating colleges and universities, regardless of the number of veteran students. The VA must prioritize schools with the largest veteran student populations when placing new program locations. This directly affects veterans using education benefits at colleges and the VA counselors assigned to support them.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands VA counseling access at colleges for veterans, directly enhancing higher education access and support for student veterans.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands VA healthcare counseling access for veterans at colleges nationwide, directly improving healthcare support and mental health services for veteran students.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill mandates VA expansion of VetSuccess on Campus to every state with dedicated counselors, directly advancing veteran education services and support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Veteran Benefits Veteran Education Veteran Healthcare

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