Student loans

Current understanding

Federal action on student-loan repayment, forgiveness, and servicing.

Evidence log

• 2026-04-29 — Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act: 2025 — Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act (S4435, 119th Congress) introduced and referred to Senate HELP, targeting how institutions present financial aid offers to students (disclosure/packaging standards rather than loan terms). (novelty: 2)
• 2025-02-07 — Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act: 2026 — Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act introduced, which would restore the pre-2024–2025 FAFSA asset exclusion for family-resident farms and family-owned small businesses (≤100 FTEs), reducing the assessed net worth used in federal need-analysis calculations and potentially expanding subsidized loan and Pell eligibility for affected students. (novelty: 2)
• 2024-06-20 — Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2024: 2024 — S4595 (Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2024) introduced in the 118th Congress and referred to the Senate HELP Committee, proposing to preserve and expand Pell Grant funding for undergraduate students. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-11 — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027: 2026 — HR9260 (FY2027 Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations) introduced, carrying the annual discretionary funding levels for Federal Student Aid administration and campus-based aid programs that support the federal student loan system. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-28 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth.: 2026-07-28 — S5146 introduced to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid application/determination process for homeless and foster care youth, potentially easing Title IV access for these applicants. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-23 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include certain licensure, certification, and aviation training costs in the determination of the cost of attendance of a student, and for other purposes.: 2026 — HR9896 introduced to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include certain licensure, certification, and aviation training costs in a student’s cost of attendance, potentially increasing federal student aid eligibility for students pursuing those credentials. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2025-05-14 — Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2025: 2025 — Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2025 (introduced) would expand federal nurse loan-repayment and scholarship programs alongside mandated hospital staffing ratios, linking student-aid supports to workforce retention conditions. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-04-09 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program”.: 2026 — HJRES155 introduced as a Congressional Review Act joint resolution to disapprove a Department of Education rule under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; if enacted, the rule would be nullified and the Department barred from reissuing substantially similar regulations. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-21 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations”.: 2026 — H.J.Res. 189 introduced in the House as a Congressional Review Act joint resolution to disapprove the Department of Education’s ‘Reimagining and Improving Student Education’ (RISE) Federal Student Loan Program final regulations; if enacted, the rule would be nullified and the Department barred from reissuing substantially similar regulations. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-05-21 — College for All Act of 2025: 2025-05-21 — College for All Act of 2025 (HR3543) introduced, which would permanently expand and revise Pell Grants (including extending eligibility to Dreamer students) and eliminate tuition and required fees at community colleges and for working- and middle-class students at four-year public and tribal institutions via a federal-state partnership. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-07-16 — To provide consumer protections for students.: 2026 — HR9748 introduced in the House to provide consumer protections for students; referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce with only title-level detail available. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-16 — A bill to provide consumer protections for students.: 2026 — S5021 introduced in the Senate to establish consumer protections for students; referred to the Senate HELP Committee with only title-level detail available. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-17 — Home School Graduation Recognition Act: 2026 — HR6392 (Home School Graduation Recognition Act) introduced, clarifying that homeschool completers recognized under state law qualify as high school graduates for federal student aid eligibility purposes. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-25 — Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) for Students Act: 2025 — HR9469 (Outcomes-Based Financing for Students Act) introduced, proposing a federal outcomes-based student financing framework distinct from traditional Title IV loans; multi-committee referral (Financial Services; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce; Judiciary). (novelty: 3)
• 2026-05-26 — Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026: 2026 — Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026 introduced, which would direct the Department of Education to prioritize oversight of institutions that disburse federal student aid without verifying the identity of FAFSA applicants flagged for reasonable suspicion of identity fraud. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-07-09 — Less Bureaucracy, Better Student Aid Act: 2026-07-09 — HR9609 (Less Bureaucracy, Better Student Aid Act) introduced, proposing to reduce administrative bureaucracy in federal student aid programs; referred to House Education and Workforce and Energy and Commerce Committees. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-03-11 — REDI Act: 2026 — REDI Act (HR2028) introduced, which would let borrowers in medical or dental internships or residencies defer student loan payments until program completion, extending existing deferment categories. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-24 — Student Loan Interest Elimination Act: 2026 — HR8045 (Student Loan Interest Elimination Act) introduced, proposing to set federal student-loan interest to 0% for existing and new loans starting July 1, 2026, permit fee-free refinancing of non-Direct federal loans to 0%, and create an Education Affordability Trust Fund funded by loan payments to cover program costs and potentially expand Pell Grants. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-12-15 — Professional Student Degree Act: cross-connection with professional-student-degree-act: Defining which programs count as “professional” degrees directly affects Grad PLUS/professional loan limits and eligibility categories in the federal student loan system. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-12-10 — Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act: 2026 — HR6574 (Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act) introduced and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, targeting student-loan equity for advanced professionals; specific provisions not yet detailed. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026: 2026 — Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026 introduced, proposing to preserve and expand federal Pell Grant funding for students. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-19 — Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell: Pell Grant Exclusion Relating to Other Grant Aid; and Workforce Pell Grants: 2026-07 — Department of Education finalized regulations implementing WFTCA changes to the Pell Grant Program, creating Workforce Pell Grants for short-term performance-based eligible workforce programs and revising Pell eligibility rules regarding interaction with other grant aid. (novelty: 3) (novelty: 3)
• 2026-05-19 — Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2026: 2026 — HR8896 (Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2026) introduced, proposing to expand the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program to cover Parent PLUS and additional loan types, extend eligibility to early childhood educators and school leaders, and grant full forgiveness after five non-consecutive years of qualifying service with monthly payments required during service. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-26 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to “Bulletin 2023-01: Unfair Billing and Collection Practices After Bankruptcy Discharges of Certain Student Loan Debts”.: 2026 — CRA joint resolution introduced to disapprove the CFPB’s withdrawal of Bulletin 2023-01, which had targeted unfair billing and collection practices on student loan debts discharged in bankruptcy; if enacted, the withdrawal would be nullified and the bulletin’s guidance restored. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-04-23 — Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment Act: 2026 — HR8475 (Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment / SOAR Act) introduced, proposing a new statutory IDR plan with $0 payments at or below 250% FPL, a 50% principal-allocation requirement, and broader loan eligibility, framed as a replacement for the court-blocked SAVE rule. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-02-27 — Pell Grant Sustainability Act: 2026 — HR1666 (Pell Grant Sustainability Act) introduced, proposing to index the maximum Pell Grant to inflation and permanently reauthorize the program’s discretionary statutory authority. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2025-08-01 — LOAN Act: 2026 — LOAN Act introduced, proposing to reduce PSLF qualifying payment requirements, expand Pell Grants to income-eligible graduate students, extend federal aid to DACA recipients, and repeal the education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-11 — Parent PLUS Loan Fairness and Responsibility Act of 2026: 2026 — Parent PLUS Loan Fairness and Responsibility Act of 2026 introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, proposing changes to Parent PLUS loan policy affecting parent borrowers. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-02 — Stopping Abusive Student Loan Collection Practices in Bankruptcy Act of 2026: 2026 — HR9111 (Stopping Abusive Student Loan Collection Practices in Bankruptcy Act of 2026) introduced and referred to House Judiciary; would restrict abusive collection practices against student loan borrowers in bankruptcy proceedings. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-24 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations”.: 2025 — Senate rejected a CRA joint resolution that would have disapproved the Department of Education’s ‘Reimagining and Improving Student Education’ federal student loan program final regulations, leaving the rule in effect. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-01 — Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand- Driven Workforce Pell: Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability: Final rule ties Direct Loan program eligibility to graduate earnings benchmarks under the new STATS framework, meaning borrowers may lose access to federal loans for programs that fall below earnings thresholds. (novelty: 4)

Open questions

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