HR 3541, the "See the Board Act," creates a federal grant program to provide free eye care services to students in public elementary and secondary schools. The program, administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, awards grants to nonprofit organizations to purchase mobile eye care equipment and cover operational costs like staff, personal protective equipment, and optical services. These grants fund mobile clinics that bring vision screenings, comprehensive exams, and glasses directly to schools, targeting students attending public K-12 schools as defined under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The bill authorizes funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to support this initiative.
This bill amends the Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service Program under the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014. It extends the required post-graduation service period from 3 to 5 years for scholarship recipients. Additionally, it removes restrictions on loan amounts by ensuring full loan coverage regardless of other Higher Education Act limits. The changes directly affect cybersecurity students receiving federal scholarships, altering their service obligations and financial support terms.
This bill amends federal securities laws to expand regulatory exemptions for retirement plans used by charities and educational institutions. It specifically updates definitions to include 403(b) plans (common for nonprofit employees) under exemptions from certain registration and oversight rules, provided they meet three conditions: (1) they follow federal retirement law (ERISA), (2) the employer acts as a fiduciary for investment choices, or (3) they are governmental plans. This change directly affects employees of qualifying charities and educational institutions who participate in these 403(b) plans, reducing compliance burdens for their retirement plans. The policy change streamlines regulatory requirements without altering retirement benefits or funding.
HR 581, the Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025, provides $100 million in federal funding (2025-2031) to address childcare shortages in underserved areas called "child care deserts." It authorizes competitive grants to states and tribal entities for two purposes: (1) workforce grants to help child care providers earn portable credentials and improve retention through training and support, and (2) facility grants to construct, expand, or renovate childcare centers and family child care homes. These grants require states to detail how projects will increase affordable, accessible childcare during nontraditional hours in targeted areas. The bill mandates that funds supplement, not replace, existing federal workforce and childcare programs.
HR 6672 creates a federal loan repayment program for mental health professionals working in designated shortage areas. It allows eligible individuals (such as psychologists, social workers, or counselors with qualifying student loans) to have up to $250,000 in federal education debt repaid over six years in exchange for full-time service in a shortage area. The program covers loans including federal student loans for mental health degrees and Direct Stafford/PLUS loans, with payments structured as 1/6 of the debt per year for the first five years and the remainder in the sixth year. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from 2026 to 2035 to fund this initiative, targeting areas with critical mental health provider shortages.
The Pell Grant Sustainability Act (HR 1666) requires the federal government to automatically adjust the maximum Pell Grant amount each year based on inflation, starting with $1,060 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This adjustment uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure grants keep pace with rising college costs, directly affecting low-income students who rely on Pell Grants to afford higher education. The bill amends the Higher Education Act to mandate this annual inflation-based increase, rounding the final amount to the nearest $5. It aims to reverse the decades-long decline in grant purchasing power, which covered 80% of college costs in 1974-75 but only 31% by 2022-23.
This bill amends the tax code to exclude certain loan repayment assistance from taxable income for veterinary students participating in qualifying programs. It specifically expands the exclusion to cover assistance provided under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 and similar state programs designed to increase veterinary access in rural areas. Veterinary students who receive this assistance through these designated programs will not owe income tax on the funds. The change applies to assistance received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
HR 1490, the TRIO Access Act, allows colleges to use tax return information from FAFSA applications for specific federal student support programs. It amends tax law (Internal Revenue Code §6103) and the Higher Education Act to permit institutions to share this data with students applying for TRIO programs like Student Support Services (Section 402D) and the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program (Section 402E). The bill clarifies that tax information collected for financial aid may also be used to determine eligibility for these TRIO programs. This change directly affects colleges and students seeking support through these specific federal initiatives.
HR 3977, the Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act, removes a ban preventing foster youth in college from receiving housing assistance. It allows the Secretary to waive income requirements for students who are in foster care (or were formerly in foster care), or are court-emancipated minors, while living in on-campus housing at eligible colleges. The bill ensures that housing assistance provided through this waiver does not count as income when determining eligibility for federal student aid, work-study programs, or other support like living allowances or child support calculations. This directly affects foster youth in higher education who face housing barriers, making campus housing more accessible without jeopardizing their other financial aid.
This bill protects student athletes' ability to sign name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements with outside companies (like endorsement deals) without school restrictions, requiring such agreements to be in writing with clear terms like compensation and duration. It mandates colleges to disclose anonymized NIL agreement data to create a public database for estimating fair market values, while requiring institutions to provide NIL education, career training, and financial literacy resources. Schools must maintain scholarships regardless of athletic performance or injury and cover sports-related medical costs for four years after graduation. The bill preempts conflicting state laws and clarifies student athletes are not employees of their schools.
