GRAD Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The GRAD Act, the Guaranteeing Retention and Aid During Shutdowns Act, protects student enrollment during government shutdowns. It amends the Higher Education Act program participation agreement requirements for institutions receiving Title IV federal student aid. Participating institutions must agree not to terminate or otherwise alter a student's enrollment status because the student's federal student financial aid under Title IV is disrupted by a lapse in appropriations. The bill addresses the college-facing consequence of shutdown-related aid interruptions: students should not be dropped, reclassified, or otherwise harmed by their school solely because federal aid processing or disbursement is disrupted.
Who Benefits and How
Students receiving Title IV aid benefit because their enrollment status cannot be ended or changed solely due to a shutdown-related aid disruption. Pell Grant recipients, student loan borrowers, and other federal aid recipients benefit from a safeguard against institutional enrollment penalties. College financial aid offices gain a clear federal rule for handling aid disruptions during appropriations lapses.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Colleges and universities participating in Title IV programs must adjust enrollment and account-hold policies to avoid penalizing students for shutdown-related aid disruptions. Financial aid administrators must distinguish federal-aid disruption from other student account or academic issues. Department of Education program participation staff must oversee institutional compliance with the new agreement term.
Key Provisions
- Amends Higher Education Act section 487(a), which governs institutional program participation agreements for Title IV aid.
- Requires institutions not to terminate a student's enrollment status due to disruption of Title IV aid caused by a lapse in appropriations.
- Protects students from school-level enrollment consequences when federal student aid is interrupted during a government shutdown.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Bars colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs from terminating or changing a student's enrollment status when the student's Title IV aid is disrupted by a lapse in appropriations.
Key Policy Areas
Higher Education, Student Aid, Appropriations
Primary Purpose
Bars colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs from terminating or changing a student's enrollment status when the student's Title IV aid is disrupted by a lapse in appropriations.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Students receiving Title IV aid
- Pell Grant recipients
- Federal student loan borrowers
- College financial aid offices
Identified Costs
- Colleges and universities
- Financial aid administrators
- Department of Education program participation staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Figures (for himself, Mr. Fields, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, …
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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