July 14, 2026
Mrs. Foushee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a program to provide housing assistance to graduate students.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Grad Student Affordable Housing Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Housing assistance for graduate students
(a) In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (hereafter referred to as the Secretary
) shall establish a program to provide tenant-based assistance vouchers to covered graduate students, in accordance with this section.
(b) Application
To be eligible for assistance under this section, a covered graduate student shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(c) Coverage of housing costs
If selected for assistance under this section, the Secretary shall provide the covered graduate student with a tenant-based assistance voucher that covers 80 percent of the cost of the fair market value of the rental cost for the housing unit chosen by the student.
(d) Covered graduate student defined
(1) In general
The term covered graduate student
means an individual that—
(A)
is enrolled in a graduate or professional program at an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)));
(B)
if considered a dependent—
(i)
with respect to having 1 parent, the parent has an annual adjusted available income that is not more than $40,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(b)); or
(ii)
with respect to having 2 parents, the parents have a annual adjusted available income that is not more than $80,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(b)); and
(C)
if considered independent—
(i)
with respect to a single individual, has an annual available income that is not more than $40,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(g)); or
(ii)
with respect to a married individual, has an shared annual available income that is not more than $80,000 as determined under the assessment described in section 475(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(g)).
(2) Cost of living
The Secretary may adjust income amounts described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) to account for adjustments to the cost of living, as determined by the Secretary.