[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2374 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2374

                   To improve college affordability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2014

  Ms. Landrieu (for herself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                   To improve college affordability.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Creating Higher Education 
Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act'' or the ``Middle 
Class CHANCE Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF A FEDERAL PELL GRANT.

    Section 401(b)(7)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a(b)(7)(C)) is amended by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) and 
inserting the following:
                            ``(ii) Award year 2014-2015.--For award 
                        year 2014-2015, the amount determined under 
                        this subparagraph for purposes of subparagraph 
                        (B)(iii) shall be increased to $4,040.
                            ``(iii) Subsequent award years.--For award 
                        year 2015-2016 and each subsequent award year, 
                        the amount determined under this subparagraph 
                        for purposes of subparagraph (B)(iii) shall be 
                        equal to--
                                    ``(I) the amount determined under 
                                this subparagraph for the preceding 
                                award year; increased by
                                    ``(II) a percentage equal to the 
                                annual adjustment percentage for the 
                                award year for which the amount under 
                                this subparagraph is being determined; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) rounded to the nearest 
                                $5.''.

SEC. 3. YEAR-ROUND FEDERAL PELL GRANT STUDENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 401(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(8) Year-Round Federal Pell Grant Students.--
            ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        this subsection, the Secretary shall award, to an eligible 
        student who meets the requirements in subparagraph (B) who has 
        received a Federal Pell Grant for an award year and is enrolled 
        in a program of study for 1 or more additional payment periods 
        during the same award year that are not otherwise covered by 
        the student's Federal Pell Grant, an additional Federal Pell 
        Grant for the additional payment periods.
            ``(B) Eligibility.--In order to be eligible to receive the 
        additional Federal Pell Grant for an award year that is 
        described in subparagraph (A), a student shall, in addition to 
        meeting all eligibility requirements for the receipt of a 
        Federal Pell Grant--
                    ``(i) be enrolled full-time in an institution of 
                higher education; and
                    ``(ii) have successfully completed at least a full-
                time course load (as determined by the institution) 
                prior to receiving an additional Federal Pell Grant 
                award as described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(C) Amounts.--In the case of a student receiving more 
        than one Federal Pell Grant in a single award year under 
        subparagraph (A), the total amount of the Federal Pell Grants 
        awarded to such student for the award year shall not exceed an 
        amount equal to 150 percent of the total maximum Federal Pell 
        Grant for such award year calculated in accordance with 
        paragraph (7)(C)(iv)(II).
            ``(D) Inclusion in duration limit.--Any period of study 
        covered by a Federal Pell Grant awarded under subparagraph (A) 
        shall be included in determining a student's duration limit 
        under subsection (c)(5).
    ``(9) Crossover Period.--In any case where an eligible student is 
receiving a Federal Pell Grant for a payment period that spans 2 award 
years, the Secretary shall allow the eligible institution in which the 
student is enrolled to determine the award year to which the additional 
period shall be assigned.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on July 1, 2014.

SEC. 4. PELL GRANT DURATION LIMIT.

    Section 401(c)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a(c)(5)) is amended by striking ``12 semesters'' and inserting ``15 
semesters'' each place the term appears.
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