[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1959 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1959

   To provide Dreamer students with access to student financial aid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 2015

Mr. Hinojosa (for himself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Linda T. Saanchez 
 of California, Mr. Butterfield, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Kind, 
and Ms. Fudge) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide Dreamer students with access to student financial aid.

    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 ``College Options for DREAMers Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to invest in highly motivated college 
students who came to the United States, grew up in our churches and 
schools, and want to contribute to the Nation by earning a college 
degree, making more money and paying higher taxes, starting businesses, 
hiring American workers, and spending more to strengthen the Nation's 
economy.

SEC. 3. COLLEGE OPTIONS FOR DREAMER STUDENTS.

    Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(5), by inserting ``or be a Dreamer 
        student, as defined in subsection (u)'' after ``becoming a 
        citizen or permanent resident''; and
            (2) by inserting at the end the following:
    ``(u) Dreamer Students.--
            ``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `Dreamer 
        student' means an individual who--
                    ``(A) was younger than 16 years of age on the date 
                on which the individual initially entered the United 
                States;
                    ``(B) has provided a list of each secondary school 
                (as that term is defined in section 9101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) that 
                the student attended in the United States; and
                    ``(C)(i) has earned a high school diploma, the 
                recognized equivalent of such diploma from a secondary 
                school, a high school equivalency diploma in the United 
                States, or is scheduled to complete the requirements 
                for such a diploma or equivalent before the next 
                academic year begins;
                    ``(ii) has acquired a degree from an institution of 
                higher education or has completed not less than 2 years 
                in a program for a baccalaureate degree or higher 
                degree at an institution of higher education in the 
                United States and has made satisfactory academic 
                progress, as defined in subsection (c), during such 
                time period;
                    ``(iii) is a beneficiary of the Deferred Action for 
                Childhood Arrivals program pursuant to the Department 
                of Homeland Security Secretary's memorandum on June 15, 
                2012, or November 20, 2014; or
                    ``(iv) has served in the uniformed services, as 
                defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code, 
                for not less than 4 years and, if discharged, received 
                an honorable discharge.
            ``(2) Hardship exception.--The Secretary of Education shall 
        issue regulations that direct when the Department shall waive 
        the requirement of subparagraph (A) or (B), or both, of 
        paragraph (1) to qualify as a Dreamer student under such 
        paragraph, if the individual--
                    ``(A) demonstrates compelling circumstances for the 
                inability to satisfy the requirement of such 
                subparagraph (A) or (B), or both; and
                    ``(B) satisfies the requirement under paragraph 
                (1)(C).''.

SEC. 4. RESTORATION OF STATE OPTION TO DETERMINE RESIDENCY FOR PURPOSES 
              OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and 
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1623) is repealed.
    (b) Effective Date.--The repeal under subsection (a) shall take 
effect as if included in the original enactment of the Illegal 
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (division C 
of Public Law 104-208).
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