[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2462 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2462
To provide additional assistance to recipients of Federal Pell Grants
who are pursuing programs of study in engineering, mathematics,
science, or foreign languages.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 20, 2004
Mr. Warner (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Allen)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide additional assistance to recipients of Federal Pell Grants
who are pursuing programs of study in engineering, mathematics,
science, or foreign languages.
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 ``21st Century Federal Pell Grant Plus
Act''.
SEC. 2. RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL PELL GRANTS WHO ARE PURSUING PROGRAMS OF
STUDY IN ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, OR FOREIGN
LANGUAGES.
Section 401(b)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070a(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(C)(i) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) and subject to clause
(iii), in the case of a student who is eligible under this part and who
is pursuing a degree with a major in, or a certificate or program of
study relating to, engineering, mathematics, science (such as physics,
chemistry, or computer science), or a foreign language, described in a
list developed or updated under clause (ii), the amount of the Federal
Pell Grant shall be the amount calculated for the student under
subparagraph (A) for the academic year involved, multiplied by 2.
``(ii)(I) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and the
Director of the National Science Foundation, shall develop, update not
less than once every 2 years, and publish in the Federal Register, a
list of engineering, mathematics, and science degrees, majors,
certificates, or programs that if pursued by a student, may enable the
student to receive the increased Federal Pell Grant amount under clause
(i). In developing and updating the list the Secretaries and Director
shall consider the following:
``(aa) The current engineering, mathematics, and science
needs of the United States with respect to national security,
homeland security, and economic security.
``(bb) Whether institutions of higher education in the
United States are currently producing enough graduates with
degrees to meet the national security, homeland security, and
economic security needs of the United States.
``(cc) The future expected workforce needs of the United
States required to help ensure the Nation's national security,
homeland security, and economic security.
``(dd) Whether institutions of higher education in the
United States are expected to produce enough graduates with
degrees to meet the future national security, homeland
security, and economic security needs of the United States.
``(II) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and the
Secretary of State, shall develop, update not less than once every 2
years, and publish in the Federal Register, a list of foreign language
degrees, majors, certificates, or programs that if pursued by a
student, may enable the student to receive the increased Federal Pell
Grant amount under clause (i). In developing and updating the list the
Secretaries shall consider the following:
``(aa) The foreign language needs of the United States with
respect to national security, homeland security, and economic
security.
``(bb) Whether institutions of higher education in the
United States are currently producing enough graduates with
degrees to meet the national security, homeland security, and
economic security needs of the United States.
``(cc) The future expected workforce needs of the United
States required to help ensure the Nation's national security,
homeland security, and economic security.
``(dd) Whether institutions of higher education in the
United States are expected to produce enough graduates with
degrees to meet the future national security, homeland
security, and economic security needs of the United States.
``(iii) Each student who received an increased Federal Pell Grant
amount under clause (i) to pursue a degree, major, certificate, or
program described in a list published under subclause (I) or (II) of
clause (ii) shall continue to be eligible for the increased Federal
Pell Grant amount in subsequent academic years if the degree, major,
certificate, or program, respectively, is subsequently removed from the
list.
``(iv)(I) If a student who received an increased Federal Pell Grant
amount under clause (i) changes the student's course of study to a
degree, major, certificate, or program that is not included in a list
described in clause (ii), then the Secretary shall reduce the amount of
Federal Pell Grant assistance the student is eligible to receive under
this section for subsequent academic years by an amount equal to the
difference between the total amount the student received under this
subparagraph and the total amount the student would have received under
this section if this subparagraph had not been applied.
``(II) The Secretary shall reduce the amount of Federal Pell Grant
assistance the student is eligible to receive in subsequent academic
years by dividing the total amount to be reduced under subclause (I)
for the student by the number of years the student received an
increased Federal Pell Grant amount under clause (i), and deducting the
result from the amount of Federal Pell Grant assistance the student is
eligible to receive under this section for a number of subsequent
academic years equal to the number of academic years the student
received an increased Federal Pell Grant amount under clause (i).''.
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